HM Treasury

Treasury: Chief Scientific Advisers

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there is a vacancy for a Chief Scientific Advisor to the Treasury.

Mr David Gauke: Following the departure of the previous Chief Scientific Adviser to the Treasury in November 2016, the Treasury expects to appoint a new Chief Scientific Adviser in due course.

Fossil Fuels: Tax Yields

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the contribution of UK continental shelf oil and gas to the annual tax yield.

Jane Ellison: The tax revenues (Offshore Corporation Tax and Petroleum Revenue Tax) arising from the production and extraction of North Sea oil and gas from the UK and UK Continental Shelf are presented in HM Revenue and Customs receipts publication (latest version December 2016), which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/584766/Dec16_Receipts_Table_Final.xlsx

Tobacco: Smuggling

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the sale of illicit tobacco.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce demand for illicit tobacco.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has to increase the penalties for recidivist offenders caught selling illegal products.

Jane Ellison: The joint HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)/Border Force strategy ('Tackling Illicit Tobacco: From leaf to light') ‎published on GOV.UK on 24 March 2015 sets out a comprehensive framework to tackle this problem at all points in the supply chain, to deter and punish involvement in the fraud and reduce demand. HMRC and Border Force work closely with other enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards and the police to target those involved in the fraud. Since 2000, the illicit market for cigarettes has reduced from 22% to 13% and for hand rolling tobacco from 61% to 32%. There is a wide range of sanctions available to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco (and alcohol) including seizure of products and cash, financial penalties and a maximum penalty of seven year’s imprisonment. In the last two years alone, over 3.5 billion illicit cigarettes and around 600 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco have been seized resulting in 848 prosecutions. On prosecution, HMRC can also apply for withdrawal of retailers' alcohol licenses and orders prohibiting the use of premises for the sale of tobacco for a period of up to 6 months. Additionally, as a result of coordinated activity with other enforcement agencies, action can be taken on wider tobacco offences, such as under-age sales, and on vehicle licensing and immigration offences. HMRC works to raise awareness of the consequences of participation in the illicit market, its links with organised criminality and the related harm that illicit tobacco causes to individuals, communities and legitimate high street businesses. HMRC has been using behavioural insight to better promote awareness of the issue and deter participation in the fraud, for example through campaigns it has undertaken involving hauliers, coach drivers and retailers. As announced at Budget 2016, following the informal consultation HMRC is currently developing options, with particular focus on the approach taken to repeat offenders, and plans to consult formally later this year.

HSBC: Closures

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from (a) parliamentarians and (b) members of the public on the closure of HSBC branches.

Simon Kirby: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and other Treasury Ministers receive numerous representations concerning the impact of bank branch closures, which are taken into consideration in the development of Government policy. However, decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government. Banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy. The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking Protocol and Professor Russel Griggs’ recently published review evaluating the operation of the Protocol to date. The Government is pleased to see that the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by bank branch closures. Alternative banking services are also available at the Post Office. A new agreement with UK banks, announced on 24 January, means that more individuals and businesses can use 11,600 local Post Office branches to access a wider range of banking services.

Holidays Abroad: Insurance

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidelines there are to insurance companies on considering claims of people who cancelled travel plans as a result of following Government travel advice relating to health concerns in the areas they plan to travel to.

Simon Kirby: The Government is determined that travel insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under rules set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates the UK insurance industry. The FCA’s Insurance Conduct of Business Sourcebook (ICOBS) states that insurers must handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed.If consumers would like to make a complaint about their case, in the first instance they should contact their insurer. If their complaint is not upheld and they would like to pursue the matter, they can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS offers a free dispute resolution service for people who wish to complain about how their insurance company has treated them. The decision of the FOS is binding on insurers up to £150,000. The FOS can be contacted at:The Financial Ombudsman ServiceExchange TowerLondonE14 9SR Telephone: 0300 123 9123complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.ukwww.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Clydesdale Bank: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made representations to the Clydesdale Bank after that Bank's announcement of 18 January 2017 to close 40 branches in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Kirby: Decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government. Banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition and other commercial factors when considering their strategy. The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking Protocol and Professor Russel Griggs’ recently published review evaluating the operation of the Protocol to date. The Government is pleased to see that the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by bank branch closures. Alternative banking services are also available at the Post Office. A new agreement with UK banks, announced on 24 January, means that more individuals and businesses can use 11,600 local Post Office branches to access a wider range of banking services.

Foreign Investment in UK: Iran

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department takes to help businesses to receive funds from Iran.

Simon Kirby: HM Treasury officials continue to work closely with UK banking industry bodies, as well as with UK-based banks, to understand the industry’s concerns and to work with them to identify approaches that will help facilitate payments from Iran. Officials also continue to work closely with US colleagues to ensure that the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) guidance and FAQs focus on issues that UK banks have raised and are as clear as possible. Officials continue to work with OFAC to feedback comments from industry.

National Savings Certificates: Tax Allowances

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax exemption for interest on National Savings Certificates including index-linked certificates in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have received income tax exemption for junior individual savings account savings in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax exemption for life insurance premiums for contracts made prior to 14 March 1984 in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax exemption for life annuities interest in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax exemption for Child Trust Fund account savings in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes the estimated cost of the income tax exemption of Interest on National Savings Certificates including index-linked certificates here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs. Figures of the population benefitting from this relief are not held. HMRC publishes the estimated cost of the income tax exemption of junior individual savings account savings, Child Trust Fund account savings, life annuities interest, and life insurance premiums here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/minor-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs. Figures of the population benefitting from these reliefs are not held. Information on the number of individuals saving into Junior ISAs is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-individual-savings-accounts-isas-amounts-subscribed-to-each-component-and-average-subscription Information on the number of Child Trust Funds saved into in previous years can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/child-trust-fund-statistics The numbers of savers is not the same as the number of individuals benefitting from tax relief, as most of these individuals would not be taxpayers even if they saved into normal (not tax advantaged) accounts due to their age and other allowances.

Redundancy Pay: Tax Allowances

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax exemption on the first £30,000 of payments on termination of employment in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: It is estimated that during 2013-14 approximately 300,000 employees received some income tax exemption on the first £30,000 of a payment for termination of an employment. The corresponding estimate for 2014-15 is 260,000.

Rented Housing: Tax Allowances

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax relief for renting a room in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: Requested data are in the table below. 2013-142014-1553,20056,400 Notes: (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100; (2) these figures do not provide a complete picture of the number of the beneficiaries of the Relief due to the fact that individuals with rental incomes below the level of the rent a room tax-free threshold (£4,250 in 2013-14 and 2014-15) do not declare these earnings; (3) figures in the table capture: (a) the number of taxpayers whose rent incomes were above the threshold and (b) those who reported using the Relief on their self-assessment tax returns for other property income.

Shipping: Pay

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax relief for Seafarers Earnings Deduction in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: The number of seafarers claiming Seafarers Earnings Deduction through self-assessment was 21,000 for the tax year 2013-14 and 20,000 for the tax year 2014-15.

Day care: Tax Allowances

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received income tax relief for employer-supported childcare including workplace nurseries in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: It is estimated that during 2013-14 an average of 690,000 employees received income tax relief for the three forms of employer-supported childcare. The corresponding estimate for 2014-15 is 750,000.

Economic Situation: East Midlands

Lilian Greenwood: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the economy of (a) Nottingham and (b) the East Midlands of the UK leaving the EU and reverting to World Trade Organisation rules.

Mr David Gauke: As the Chancellor outlined at the Treasury Select Committee, the government is carrying out both national and regional analysis of leaving the European Union, which will help to inform the Prime Minister’s negotiating strategy.

High Net Worth Unit: Tax Yields

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the revenue collected by HM Revenue and Customs High Net Worth Unit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The NAO report published in November 2016 shows the amount of compliance yield collected by the High Net Worth Unit in HM Revenue and Customs over the last five years. This was: YearYield2011-12£200 million2012-13£223 million2013-14£268 million2014-15£414 million2015-16£416 million  In this period the High Net Worth Unit has increased the yield from its work each year and exceeded the annual yield targets that it agreed internally.

Prime Minister

USA: State Visits

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Prime Minister, on what date she issued a formal invitation to the President of the US to make a state visit to the UK.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the joint press conference following my meeting with President Trump, a transcript of which can be found on gov.uk website.

Turkey: Visits Abroad

Sarah Olney: To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions she had with President Erdogan on (a) human rights, (b) press freedom and (c) democracy in Turkey during her visit to that country on 28 January 2017.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the joint press conference following my meeting with President Erdogan, a transcript of which can be found on gov.uk website.

Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people excluded from auto-enrolment as a result of changes to the earnings trigger in the Pensions Act 2011 and reviews subsequent to that Act.

Richard Harrington: We do not hold the information in the format you have requested. The 2011 Pensions Act implemented workplace pension reform measures from the independent Making Automatic Enrolment Work Review. This sought to simplify the automatic enrolment process where possible, balancing the needs of employers and individual savers. The Act set out a requirement for the automatic enrolment earnings trigger level to be reviewed every tax year. This provides the opportunity to keep the automatic enrolment thresholds up to date and relevant in light of changing economic circumstances and ensures it continues to strike the right balance between maximising the savings incentives for individuals and minimising costs for employers. In doing this, it pays particular attention to the impact of this on groups currently under-represented in pension saving such as women and low earners. Analysis of the impact on the automatic enrolment target group resulting from each of the annual reviews of the earnings trigger and qualifying earnings band can be found at; https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/automatic-enrolment-earnings-trigger-and-qualifying-earnings-bandI announced the decision to freeze the automatic enrolment earnings trigger for 2017/2018 at £10,000 on 12 December 2016. This is estimated to result in an additional 70,000 individuals being brought into automatic enrolment, of which around 50,000 (75 per cent) per are women.

Occupational Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people excluded from auto-enrolment as a result of the introduction of the three-month waiting period in the Pensions Act 2011.

Richard Harrington: We do not hold this information. The 2011 Pensions Act implemented workplace pension reform measures from the independent Making Automatic Enrolment Work Review which sought to simplify the automatic enrolment process. One of these measures was the introduction of the option of waiting periods for the automatic enrolment of workers into a workplace pension. This helps to reduce burdens on employers by allowing them the flexibility to postpone automatic enrolment if they have temporary or short-term staff who will stop working within three months, need to align automatic enrolment with their other business processes (e.g., payroll), or for any other business reason, while balancing the risk of individuals being excluded from pension saving for extended periods of time. It is important to note, however, that workers can still ask to join the employer’s workplace pension scheme during the postponement period. Indeed, an IFS study published in November 2016 found evidence of a particularly large increase in workplace pension membership among those who have been with their employer for less than 3 months, of 20 percentage points. https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/research%20summaries/auto_enrolment_1116.pdf

Means-tested Benefits

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people receiving hardship payments have had recovery of money suspended as a result of the claimant finding work at or above their earnings threshold in each of the last three years.

Damian Hinds: This information requested is not available.

Employment: Statistics

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons 74 is the maximum age at which occupational data include a teacher death.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will increase the maximum age for teacher deaths in occupational data beyond the age of 74.

Penny Mordaunt: Occupational mortality analyses, based on national data from death certificates, do not include deaths beyond age 74, whether among former teachers or any other occupation. This is because it is known that the accuracy of occupation information recorded on death certificates declines for older ages so currently the data on the last occupation of the deceased is only coded for those aged 16 to 74 in England and Wales. There are currently no plans to increase the maximum age for which information about last occupation of the deceased – whether for teachers or any other occupation – is included in national data for England and Wales.

Jobcentres

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017, HCWS439, on welfare delivery, which of the jobcentres due to be closed or co-located elsewhere will be subject to public consultation.

Damian Hinds: We have committed to a public consultation for offices over three miles and 20 minutes away by public transport. There are 25 consultations covering 27 sites planned. Consultation started on 30 January 2017 and ends at 5pm on 28 February 2017. The full list of sites we have announced has been published and is available from: http://qna.files.parliament.uk/ws-attachments/678953/original/DWP%20Estates%20Proposals.pdf

Jobcentres: Glasgow

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017, HCWS439, on welfare delivery, how many (a) existing and (b) new employees of his Department will be based at the newly acquired back-of-house site in Glasgow.

Damian Hinds: It is important to remember that the announcements made in relation to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017 are just proposals at this stage and not final decisions. Until discussions with staff have been undertaken, we cannot provide details of how many new and existing people would make up that number.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017, HCWS439, on welfare delivery, whether each of his Department's sites due to be closed or co-located elsewhere have been consulted on those proposals.

Damian Hinds: We have committed to a public consultation for offices over three miles and 20 minutes away by public transport. Consultation started on 30 January 2017 and ends at 5pm on 28 February 2017. We will also be undertaking internal consultations with staff in those sites affected.

Jobcentres: Glasgow

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017, HCWS439, on welfare delivery, on what date further details will be released on the acquisition of a new back-of-house site in Glasgow.

Damian Hinds: It is important to remember that the announcements made in relation to the Written Statement of 26 January 2017 are just proposals at this stage and not final decisions. As such, no specific dates in relation to the proposals have yet been agreed.

Social Security Benefits

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is between a claimant requesting by telephone that a  benefit claim form be sent to them by post and their receiving that form.

Damian Hinds: The vast majority of our benefit claims are now made on line or by telephone. The total ESA claims we receive on a clerical ESA 1 is usually around 5% and for JSA claims clerical cases are issued in less than 1% of cases as a general rule. In all cases when a clerical form is required it is dispatched on the same day if the request is received before 12.30pm. Later requests are dispatched the following working day. The majority of DLA & IIDB claims are issued by post and are actioned within a 24 hour period of the request. IIDB Claim forms are also held by 3rd party groups such as CAB, Asbestos Support Groups and Solicitors. Customers can also download both IIDB & DLA forms from the Intranet. The majority of PIP claims are expected to made by telephone unless the claimant is unable to or finds it very difficult to use the phone. In these cases a clerical PIP part 1 would be issued and once the claim is completed and submitted, the PIP part 2 form is system issued overnight. Income Support New Claims are normally made by telephone, in extraordinary circumstances a contingency process can be invoked to ensure that customer demand is met. Since January 2017 the contingency approach has accounted for 10 % of the total number of new claims made during this period. When this process is used, a claim pack is sent to the customer on the same day as the customer requests it. All claim forms, with the exception of the PIP part 2 and Income Support claim forms which are issued by 1st class post, are issued by 2nd class post. The Royal Mail delivery standards for 1st class are 93% next day from their receipt by Royal Mail and for second class are 98.5% within 2 days.

Jobcentres: Port Glasgow

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of relocating staff and resources from Port Glasgow Jobcentre.

Damian Hinds: We are not yet in a position to share an estimated figure due to commercial confidentiality pending completion of legal processes. We expect to make savings by merging the two offices through reduced running costs and making best use of both office space available and taxpayer’s money. Where we are proposing changes to our estate, staff 1-2-1’s are underway to assess impact on individuals and potential costs.

Jobcentres: Edinburgh

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a public consultation will take place on the proposal to close St Andrew Street job centre in Edinburgh.

Damian Hinds: There will be no public consultation on the proposal to close Edinburgh City Jobcentre as the proposed move to merge with High Riggs Jobcentre is 1.1 miles in distance. We have committed to a public consultation for offices over three miles and 20 minutes away by public transport.

Jobcentres: Edinburgh

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what criteria St Andrew Street job centre, Edinburgh, has been selected for closure.

Damian Hinds: The Department has sought, where feasible, to merge sites in close proximity as part of its overall review of estate. Merging the staff and services from Edinburgh City into High Riggs Jobcentre optimises use of space, ensures value for money and enables effective delivery of services to the public. The merge in reverse was explored however this was deemed not viable due to the underutilisation of space.

Jobcentres: Edinburgh

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants living in Edinburgh East constituency are served by St Andrew Street job centre, Edinburgh; and how many of those are (a) disabled and (b) women.

Damian Hinds: Edinburgh City claimant count is currently shared with High Riggs Jobcentre and primarily split by age group as opposed to postcode. The claimant count for High Riggs is 2245 of which 720 are female. This information is available from the following link: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Guidance for users is available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp These are UC and JSA claimants served by Edinburgh City and High Riggs Jobcentres. We are unable to identify disabled claimants, or provide exact figures of ESA and IS claimants, however the purpose of the equality analysis is to help establish how many people are likely to be affected by the proposal.

Department for Work and Pensions: East Ayrshire

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where staff based at Cumnock administration centre will be relocated in the event of its closure.

Damian Hinds: We have entered a period of consultation with our staff at Cumnock Killoch House and will be undertaking internal discussions about the options for relocation. It is important to stress that this is a proposal at this stage and we will make a final decision following the consultation process with our colleagues. DWP is retaining a significant presence in Scotland and staff at Cumnock will be offered the opportunity to relocate to other parts of DWP wherever possible.

Department for Work and Pensions: East Ayrshire

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to publish an Equality Impact Assessment on the proposal to close Cumnock administration centre.

Damian Hinds: We will be undertaking an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include feedback from public consultation in those locations where this applies. A decision regarding publication of the equality analysis will be made at that time.

Department for Work and Pensions: East Ayrshire

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will confirm that no compulsory redundancies will result from the closure of Cumnock administration centre.

Damian Hinds: The Department for Work and Pensions is now consulting with colleagues in Cumnock. We are seeking to relocate, or offer alternative roles, to all employees affected by the proposed closure. It is important to stress that this is a proposed closure: we will make a final decision informed by the consultation with our colleagues. We are not therefore in a position to comment on the potential for redundancy.

Department for Work and Pensions: East Ayrshire

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what criteria Cumnock administration centre was selected for closure.

Damian Hinds: The overall requirement in DWP for processing work is reducing and we do not need the same size estate we currently have. Specifically, the work undertaken at Cumnock Killoch House is reducing and due to end within the next 2-3 years. The overall requirement for that work from March 2018 is deliverable out of fewer buildings which better match our strategic requirements and therefore the building in Cumnock will no longer be required.

National Insurance: EU Nationals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many nationals of other EU member states registered for national insurance numbers in (a) Greater London and (b) the London Borough of Newham between (i) July and December 2015, (ii) January and June 2016 and (iii) July and December 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The available information on the number of foreign nationals registered for National Insurance numbers by geography, including parliamentary constituency and world area is published quarterly and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.htmlThe latest available information is up to September 2016.

Work Capability Assessment: Parkinson's Disease

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum number of face to face assessments for Parkinson's disease sufferers.

Penny Mordaunt: We continually keep the assessment process for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) under review. As announced on 1 October 2016, we will stop requiring people with the most severe, lifetime conditions to be repeatedly assessed for ESA and the Universal Credit equivilant. Over the coming months we will work with our health assessment provider, medical professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities. PIP already recognises that for the most severely disabled claimants, the award review process could seem unnecessarily intrusive. The length of a PIP award is based on an individual’s circumstances and can vary from nine months to an on-going award with a light touch review at the 10 year point. As such, existing PIP claimants with the most severe, lifetime disabilities, whose functional ability has remained the same, are more likely to have their evidence reviewed by a DWP Decision-Maker and will not need to have another face-to-face assessment with a healthcare professional. Regular reviews for PIP claimants are a key feature of the benefit, and ensure that benefit payments accurately match the current needs of claimants. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to improve the service we provide. We are committed to ensuring that the review processes work effectively across the spectrum of disabilities and health conditions. In addition the Green Paper, launched on 31 October 2016 explores a range of options, and points to long-term reform, including how we might simplify and improve the assessment process.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria were used to select sites for closure in his Department's estates review.

Damian Hinds: The Department has sought, where feasible, to merge sites in close proximity as part of its overall review of estate. Merging the staff and services optimises use of space, ensures value for money and enables effective delivery of services to the public. Some smaller offices have insufficient space to grow as part of the Universal Credit full service roll out.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there will be compulsory redundancies from proposed closures in his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: Department for Work and Pensions future estate plans are designed to retain the skills and experience of colleagues across the country. As a result, it is proposed that the great majority of employees stay in the same building, with most other employees moving to another site nearby.In a small number of cases relocation and redeployment may be more difficult. We will seek to relocate or offer alternative roles to all such employees. But in some cases, this may not be reasonable and redundancies may be required. At this point we are unable to confirm whether redundancies would be voluntary or compulsory.The Department for Work and Pensions will be entering into a period of consultation with our colleagues at all affected locations and will be undertaking internal discussions about the options for relocation. It is important to stress that this is a proposal at this stage and we will make a final decision following the consultation process with our colleaguesIt is not until this period of consultation is concluded that we will know exactly how many people may leave the Department as a result of these changes. Our current estimate is that this may be approximately 750 people, less than 1% of the overall workforce.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when an equality impact assessment will be published on the proposal to close offices in his Department's estate.

Damian Hinds: We will be undertaking an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include feedback from public consultation in those locations where this applies. A decision regarding publication of the equality analysis will be made at that time.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which sites due for closure in his Department's estate will be subject to a public consultation.

Damian Hinds: The list of sites subject to public consultation has been published and documentation is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&publication_filter_option=consultations&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D=department-for-work-pensions&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=

Social Security Benefits

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have applied for (a) jobseekers allowance or (b) universal credit (i) by post and (ii) during a home visit in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: The information is not available at the level of detail requested.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the expected costs of the proposed relocation of staff and resources from sites due for closure in his Department's estate.

Damian Hinds: We are not yet in a position to share an estimated figure due to commercial confidentiality pending completion of legal processes and staff consultation. We expect to make savings by merging offices through reduced running costs and making best use of both office space available and taxpayer’s money.

Jobcentres: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants there were in each of the Jobcentre Plus branches in Hull City Council broken down by gender for the most recent month for which figures are available.

Damian Hinds: Information is only available for people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit (required to seek work); and the number of new claims to Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support who are attending Hull Jobcentres. The table below provides figures for October 2016 - Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support and December 2016 – Jobseeker’s Allowance.  The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit and attending Hull JobcentresThe number of people making a new claim to Employment and Support Allowance and attending Hull JobentresThe number of people making a new claim to Income Support and attending Hull Jobcentres December 2016October 2016October 2016 Hull Britannia HouseHull Market PlaceHull Britannia HouseHull Market PlaceHull Britannia HouseHull Market PlaceMale2,9301,2952692908853Female1,480725

Jobcentres: Sheffield

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether officials of his Department visited Eastern Avenue jobcentre, Sheffield before announcing the decision to close it.

Damian Hinds: Over the past few months senior DWP operational managers and commercial colleagues have visited Eastern Avenue jobcentre, Sheffield.

Jobcentres

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what visits to jobcentres it is his policy to reimburse claimants for travel.

Damian Hinds: The reimbursement of travel costs is available to claimants when they are required to attend the Jobcentre for appointments other than mandatory fortnightly signing appointments.

Jobcentres: Sheffield

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has conducted an impact assessment of the closure of Eastern Avenue Job Centre, Sheffield; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential effect of (a) demographics and (b) access to the internet when making the decision to move that Job Centre.

Damian Hinds: We will be undertaking an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include consideration of the potential effect of demographics and the impact on service accessibility. Our merged Jobcentres will continue to offer internet access to support claimants and we are working with local authorities as part of our ongoing partnership to improve digital access and capability.

Jobcentres: Sheffield

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefits claimants are affected by the decision to close the jobcentre at Eastern Avenue, Sheffield.

Damian Hinds: We currently have 1150 UC and JSA claimants using Eastern Avenue Jobcentre. This information is available from the following link: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Guidance for users is available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp We are unable to provide exact figures of ESA and IS claimants potentially affected, however the purpose of the equality analysis is to help establish how many people are likely to be affected by the proposal.

Home Office

Bicyles: Theft

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce bicycle theft; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of such thefts in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The number of bicycle thefts recorded by the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales for each of the last 5 years are set out in the table below. According to the most recent Crime Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics on 19 January, there was a statistically significant fall of 23 per cent in bicycle thefts in the year to September 2016 compared to the previous year We encourage victims of bicycle theft to report these crimes to the police. A number of police forces provide advice to the public on measures they can take to make their bicycles more secure, including encouraging people to keep a record of their property, together with taking serial numbers and photographs. In addition, there are a number of industry initiatives that can help tackle bicycle theft, including property marking schemes.YearNumber of bicycle theft incidents2011/12443,0002012/13452,0002013/14375,0002014/15380,0002015/16327,000

Crimestoppers

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes in funding from the public purse to Crimestoppers were made in each year from 2010-11.

Brandon Lewis: Between 2010-11 and 2014-15, the Home Office provided Crimestoppers with grant funding of £900,000 per annum. As part of wider Government efficiency measures, Crimestoppers’ grant funding was reduced by 5% in 2015-16 and 2016-17, to £855,000 and £770,000 per annum respectively. Crimestoppers separately receives funding from a range of other public bodies, including Police and Crime Commissioners.

Counter-terrorism

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the holding Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39747, on counter-terrorism, when she expects to provide a full Answer.

Sarah Newton: Where appropriate we will make it clear in future documents and legislation that extremism is about the mutual respect and tolerance of people with different faiths and beliefs rather than respect and tolerance for the faiths and beliefs themselves.

Tanis Bhandari

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the Devon and Cornwall Police inquiry into the murder of Tanis Bhandari that omissions in the recording of license conditions on the Police National Computer are likely to recur.

Brandon Lewis: The omission in the recording of licence conditions in this case related to a Post Sentence Supervision notification, which is applied to offenders released from sentences of more than one day and up to two years in custody. This issue has now been resolved. All licence conditions are now recorded on the Police National Computer and prisons are also required to notify local police and probation services when offenders are released from their custody.

Immigration Controls

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been recorded as having left the UK by border exit checks in 2015 and 2016 since their introduction in April 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Exit checks were introduced in April 2015 and will, over a period of time, provide us with this information. My Department is considering the use of exit checks data for statistical reporting purposes. A report on statistics being collected under the exit checks programme was published on 25 August 2016 and is available on the UK Government website www.gov.uk. Any data published will be subject to data assurance standards.

Slavery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of proposals by the Anti-Slavery Commissioners to establish a central repository for modern slavery statements; and if she will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: We have not received a proposal from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner regarding the establishment of a central repository for modern slavery statements. We have not endorsed a particular repository for such statements. So far, two repository websites have been set up to collect the ‘slavery and human trafficking statements’ published by businesses in one place. These are being run by Unseen and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Home Office: Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what public appointments she has made since her appointment.

Sarah Newton: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has appointed the new Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and two Non-Executive Board members for the Disclosure and Barring Service.

College of Policing

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last visited the College of Policing.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Secretary last visited the College of Policing on 30 November 2016 for its annual conference, held at Sunningdale. The Home Secretary presented a key note speech.

Refugees: Children

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the report received from Kevin Hyland following his visit to hotspots in Greece and Italy in 2016.

Sarah Newton: The Government takes this issue seriously, which is why we commissioned private advice from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. His advice has informed the significant work we have undertaken over recent months. This includes offering over 70 experts to support the hotspot response, funding psycho-social support to refugees and migrants on the Greek islands, funding training, accommodation and a scaled-up counter-trafficking response in Italy, and funding more effective case management support in Greece.

Refugees: Syria

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase the number of people from minority communities in Iraq being resettled in the UK by extending the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to include Iraqis.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is intended to help vulnerable Syrian nationals. Iraqi refugees are eligible for resettlement under our other, global resettlement schemes such as Gateway and Mandate. They may also qualify for resettlement under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) established earlier this year, which is not restricted to Syrian nationals.

Northern Ireland Office

Productivity: Northern Ireland

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department met with counterparts at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to discuss productivity levels in Northern Ireland.

James Brokenshire: Northern Ireland Office Ministers and officials engage regularly with Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on areas of mutual interest.This includes engagement on the development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy which aims to boost productivity and drive growth across the whole country.

Northern Ireland Office: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the level of earnings is of the (a) highest and (b) lowest-paid employees of his Department, its agencies and arms-length bodies; and what the median level of earnings is for such employees.

Kris Hopkins: The Office for National Statistics publish annually the highest and median salary for each Civil Service organisation as part of the Civil Service Statistics and this information can be found on the Office for National Statistics website:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/medianpayannexb The Northern Ireland Office sponsors a number of arms-length bodies located in Northern Ireland, which are aligned to the pay and grading arrangements for the Northern Ireland Civil Service. As these bodies are independent of Government, the hon Member may wish to write to them directly on these matters – contact details are set out below: ALBContact DetailsParades Commission for Northern Irelandinfo@paradescommission.orgNorthern Ireland Human Rights Commissioninformation@nihrc.orgBoundary Commission for Northern Irelandcontact@boundarycommission.org.ukOffice of the Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Irelandinfo@nicscommissioners.orgChief Electoral Officer for Northern Irelandinfo@eoni.org.uk

Armed Forces: Prosecutions

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many former or serving members of the armed forces have been prosecuted for Troubles-related offences in each year since 1998.

James Brokenshire: The responsibility for policing and justice matters in Northern Ireland has been devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive since April 2010. All decisions on prosecutions are taken independently of Government and in accordance with the Code for Prosecutors. While the Northern Ireland Office does not have a full record of prosecutions, I am aware that since November 2015 prosecutions have been brought against three former members of the armed forces for Troubles-related offences. In addition to previous or current prosecutions there are a number of coronial inquests examining cases involving members of the armed forces, while all deaths caused by members of the armed forces are being re-examined by the Legacy Investigations Branch of the PSNI.

Department of Health

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress his Department has made on recovering money from overseas visitors and other chargeable NHS patients.

Mr Philip Dunne: The National Health Service is a national, not an international, service. This Government was the first to introduce tough measures to clamp down on migrants accessing free NHS care, including introducing the immigration health surcharge. The initiatives we have implemented have meant the income identified from visitors and migrants has trebled from £89 million in 2012/13 to £289 million in 2015/16.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether cervical screening is available to all women at contraception and sexual health clinics.

David Mowat: The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is directly commissioned by NHS England as part of the Section 7A agreement of the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The availability of screening within contraception and sexual health clinics, which are commissioned by local authorities, is a matter for local agreement. There is also the human papillomavirus (HPV) adolescent vaccination programme for girls which is well established in the United Kingdom and expected to have a significant impact on reducing cervical cancer. Since the start of the programme in 2008, more than 8.5 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been given in the UK, with close to 90% of eligible teenagers vaccinated.

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions section 35 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has been applied to cases where Valporate has been prescribed to pregnant women.

Nicola Blackwood: Section 35 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has never been used to withhold information in response to requests concerning valproate.

Homeopathy

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what substances are included in the active homeopathic substances referred to in medicines and healthcare products regulatory guidance on module 3 of the homeopathic medicinal products dossier.

Nicola Blackwood: Over one hundred homeopathic stocks are used in homeopathic medicinal products authorised or registered in the United Kingdom. The following provides a link to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website page listing homeopathic medicinal products granted a registration under the Simplified Homeopathic Registration Scheme or authorisation under the Homeopathic National Rules Scheme in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/575658/HR___NR_listing_with_product_name__FINAL_.pdf

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make cervical screening available to women at every contraception and sexual health clinic; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat: The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is directly commissioned by NHS England as part of the Section 7A agreement of the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The availability of screening within contraception and sexual health clinics, which are commissioned by local authorities, is a matter for local agreement. There is also the human papillomavirus (HPV) adolescent vaccination programme for girls which is well established in the United Kingdom and expected to have a significant impact on reducing cervical cancer. Since the start of the programme in 2008, more than 8.5 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been given in the UK, with close to 90% of eligible teenagers vaccinated.

Country Parks: Children

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of access to country parks on children's health and well-being.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of access to country parks on health inequalities.

Nicola Blackwood: Public Health England (PHE) recognises the role that access to nature and open spaces play in the health and wellbeing of populations and commissioned the Institute of Health Equity to do an evidence review on Improving Access to Open Space which can be accessed using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/357411/Review8_Green_spaces_health_inequalities.pdf PHE is not aware of any evidence relating specifically to country parks and its effect on health.

Walking

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect that 20 minutes of brisk walking has on improving health.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department has not made an assessment of the effect of 20 minutes brisk walking on health improvement. According to United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers' guidelines for physical activity, all adults should be active for at least 150 minutes each week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of reducing the age for screening for bowel cancer to people aged 50.

David Mowat: The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers bowel cancer screening every two years to men and women aged 60 to 74, using a self-sampling kit, the Faecal Occult Blood (FOB) test. Anyone over the age of 74 can self refer themselves into the screening programme every two years. The programme initially offered screening to men and women aged 60 to 69 years old because the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80% of bowel cancers being diagnosed in people who are aged 60 or over. In the bowel cancer screening pilot, conducted in Coventry and Warwickshire and in Scotland in the late 1990s and early 2000s, over three times more cancers were detected in people aged over 60 than under 60, and people in their 60s were most likely to use a testing kit. In addition, there was not enough endoscopy resource to begin at a wider age range. Men and women aged over 70 have always been able to self-refer for screening every two years if they wish. The programme has now been extended to men and women aged up to 74. In November 2015, the UK National Screening Committee which advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy, recommended that the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) should replace the currently used FOB test in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Bowel cancer screening using the FIT self-sampling kit will be offered to men and women aged 60 to 74 every two years. Anyone over the age of 74 will still be able to self refer into the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme every two years. FIT is expected to increase screening uptake by around 10% and result in around 200,000 more people a year being tested, potentially saving hundreds of lives. FIT will be implemented from April 2018. In addition to FOB testing the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is currently rolling out Bowel Scope Screening (BSS), a one off examination which will play a significant role in preventing bowel cancer. Both men and women will be invited for BSS around the time of their 55th birthday. If people are not screened at 55, they can request BSS up to the age of 59. BSS finds and removes any small bowel growths (polyps) that could eventually turn into cancer. We believe the biggest impact we can have on saving lives from bowel cancer in England is implementing FIT in 2018 and roll-out of BSS to all men and women aged 55.

Zika Virus

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government issued any guidelines to insurance companies on the effects of Government advice in February 2016 to consult a medical professional before travelling to areas where there were Zika outbreaks.

Nicola Blackwood: Neither Public Health England nor National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) has issued any guidance specifically to insurance companies on Zika, however it is accepted as standard practice that insurance companies will regularly access and take account of the guidance provided on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and NaTHNaC webpages in relation to Zika virus and other issues affecting United Kingdom travellers.

Dental Services

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the General Dental Council (GDC) is taking to manage cases that fall under section 6.1.3 in the GDC's standard for the dental team document.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not hold the information requested. The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentists in the United Kingdom and is responsible for dentist registration, and has provided the following information. The GDC is not taking specific steps to manage cases that fall under any particular standard. The GDC treats all allegations against registrants in the same way and applies the same questions in the fitness to practise process. The GDC reminds registrants of their responsibilities under particular standards, and about paying bills and professional fees on time.

Dental Services: Billing

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many General Dental Council registered dentists have been prosecuted or been subject to fitness to practice judgements as a result of failing to pay dental laboratory accounts since 2006.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not hold the information requested. The General Dental Council is the independent regulator of dentists in the United Kingdom and is responsible for dentist registration.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will bring forward proposals to include the sale of illicit tobacco as an offence under the Restricted Premises Order.

Nicola Blackwood: Restricted Premise Orders are a sanction under the Children’s and Families Act 1933 (as amended) for the underage sale of tobacco. The Government has no current plans to amend this primary legislation.

Young Offenders: Mental Health Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken on improving mental health support for young offenders.

Nicola Blackwood: The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services Transformation Programme is improving mental health outcomes for children and young people. Within the Programme, the Health and Justice and Specialised Commissioning Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services Transformation Workstream is responding to challenges around the commissioning and provision of mental health services for those held in the children and young people’s secure estate (CYPSE), including testing and evaluating the Secure Stairs integrated framework of care across the CYPSE. The Workstream is also targeting improved mental health service provision for children and young people coming into contact with other elements of the health and justice pathway, such as Liaison and Diversion services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres and crisis care related to police custody.

General Practitioners: Accident and Emergency Departments

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on co-location of GP surgeries within hospital accident and emergency units.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS England are leading a comprehensive review of the National Health Service urgent and emergency care system in England which proposes a fundamental shift in the way urgent and emergency care services are provided. A significant part of this is changing how and where primary care services are delivered and accessed by patients, from realising the potential of NHS111 services through to greater primary care streaming at the accident and emergency (A&E) front door. This includes rolling out initiatives such as the co-location of general practitioner (GP) surgeries within A&E units and other models for patients to access GP services within A&E. Additionally the A&E improvement plan 2016/17 has ‘primary care streaming’ as one of its ‘must do’ initiatives and whilst its implementation remains a local system decision, NHS strongly recommends that trusts consider better use of GPs on the patient pathway to improve patient access to primary care (which may include co-location of services) and which will also therefore aim to ease pressures on A&E services.

Accidents: Fees and Charges

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the amount recovered from third party insurers for NHS treatment under the NHS Injury Recovery Scheme by each Ambulance Service NHS Trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how much of that amount which is recoverable remains outstanding.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested is provided in the following tables. These reflect the total actual amount recovered by each National Health Service ambulance service trust in each of the last five financial years. The Department does not hold information centrally on the value of outstanding claims which may or may not result in the recovery of treatment costs. Income Paid through the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Scheme - 2011-12 to 2015-16 Ambulance trust2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16 £’s£’s£’s£’s£’sEast Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust656,861688,212663,968600,224559,620East Of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust825,995849,655840,695782,980726,208Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust4353,508275,937000Isle Of Wight Ambulance Trust18,69820,36217,82317,38013,813London Ambulance Service NHS Trust1,374,8721,460,2991,465,1121,320,3191,207,950North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust1475,599459,460475,915431,953368,392North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust1,484,7971,512,5381,500,2781,379,1791,271,433South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust5496,678526,620517,342483,225464,780South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust2767,105794,765818,365748,918683,020South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust384,553475,372746,006683,991649,199West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust3976,973995,372992,941894,948859,734Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust1,037,2241,046,8371,013,513960,496933,345Total8,852,8629,105,4299,051,9588,303,6147,737,495 Notes:1 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust became a foundation trust in October 2011.2 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust became a foundation trust in May 2012.3 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust became a foundation trust in January 2013.4 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust merged with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust in February 2013.5South Central Ambulance Trust became a foundation trust in October 2013.

Accidents: Fees and Charges

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the amount recovered from third party insurers for NHS treatment under the NHS Injury Recovery Scheme by (a) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (b) Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (c) University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and (d) East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how much of that amount which is recoverable remains outstanding.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested is provided in the table below, which reflects the total actual amount recovered by the NHS in each of the last five financial years. The Department does not hold information centrally on the value of outstanding claims which may or may not result in the recovery of treatment costs. Income from the NHS Injury Cost Recover Scheme 2011-12 to 2015-16 NHS trust/foundation trust2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust660,7401942,3891,131,955850,327825,267East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust2,174,9092,247,1972,457,2902,066,3252,107,944Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust2,595,1062,513,2812,520,4332,412,0862,598,299Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust1,022,032664,282---University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust2-395,429837,843812,962672,682Total£6,452,787£6,762,577£6,947,520£6,141,700£6,204,192 Notes: 1 Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was established in September 2011.2 Morecambe Bay Hospitals became University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust in December 2012.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a list of designated centres for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa that is difficult to diagnose or manage.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England's service specification for specialised dermatology services, if he will place in the Library a list of designated centres for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa that is difficult to diagnose or manage.

David Mowat: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can usually be managed through routine access to primary or secondary care. For those patients with the most serious forms of HS, who cannot be managed in this way, a referral to an appropriate specialised service may be appropriate. The list of specialised dermatology providers for both in-patient and out-patient care is attached. NHS England commissions specialised services for people with rare and complex skin conditions and has set out what providers must have in place in order to offer specialist dermatology care. The level of service provision nationally is based on an assessment of the likely patient population who will need to access specialised care. It is estimated that about 10% of patients requiring dermatology services (about 10,000 each year) need care from specialised dermatology centres. More information on the service specification for specialised dermatology can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a12-spec-dermatology.pdf



PQ62194 attached document
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.56 KB)

NHS: Sustainable Development

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the implementation of sustainability and transformation plans on social care costs for local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat: Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are locally led plans designed to reflect the priorities and needs of the area. As such it is for individual STPs, which we expect to be developed in partnership with local authorities, to determine the impact on social care costs. Through better integration of health and social care across an area we believe can improve patient experience.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2017 to Question 61521, what information his Department holds on the ages of people admitted to adult in-patient mental health wards.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy for adult in-patient mental health wards to record the ages of the people accessing such services; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood: Since January 2016, the date of birth of all people admitted to adult inpatient mental health wards has been routinely collected via the Mental Health Services Data Set by NHS Digital. Age can be derived from this patient level data.

Eating Disorders

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2017 to Question 61127, how many beds for in-patients with eating disorders there were in each year since 2010.

Nicola Blackwood: There are currently 232 specialised children’s eating disorder beds and 415 adult inpatient eating disorder beds in England. There is no data available to show the number of inpatient eating disorder beds before April 2016.

Association of Port Health Authorities: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has replied to the letter to him of 24 November 2016 from the Association of Port Health Authorities; and if he will meet representatives of that body.

Nicola Blackwood: I have responded directly to the Association of Port Health Authorities.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2016 to Question 57827, on housing: carbon emissions, what future policy options he is considering.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2016 to Question 57827, on housing: carbon emissions, how much seed funding the Government provided for Green Open Homes.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy Supply

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what dates he has had meetings with the representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises to discuss strengthening UK supply chains in advance of the UK leaving the EU.

Margot James: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises regularly and discusses a range of topics. As part of these discussions the impact of the UK leaving the EU on the strength of competitive supply chains are discussed.

Research: Scotland

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to maintain the level of investment in research and development in Scotland in response to the UK's decision to leave the EU.

Joseph Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Callum McCaig) on 25 January 2017 to Question UIN 60972.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Capital Investment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2017 to Question 60573, what estimate he has made of how much his Department will spend on large capital projects in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Department’s estimated capital expenditure on projects within the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) for each of next 5 years is set out in the table below. The annual totals are broken down between Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the two former departments which merged in 2016 to create BEIS.The estimates are based upon the current composition of the GMPP and their capital costs over the next 5 years. The estimates therefore exclude the capital costs of those major projects that may join the GMPP within the next 5 years. 2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/21TOTAL (in millions £)Ex-DECC1590.01616.01578.01610.01674.08068.0Ex-BIS47.788.280.033.59.0258.4Combined1637.71704.21658.01643.51683.08326.4

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2017 to Question 59325, on the Green Investment Bank, what other activities have been undertaken by (a) his Department, (b) UK Government Investments and (c) the Green Investment Bank to facilitate the introduction of private capital into that Bank's offshore wind assets.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government first announced that it was working with the Green Investment Bank (GIB) on options to introduce private capital into GIB in the Autumn Statement 2013. Since then, Government and GIB have continued to work together to facilitate the introduction of private capital into GIB, including into its offshore wind assets. A two stage auction process for the GIB was formally launched on 3 March 2016, as set out in the Government’s report to Parliament of the same day. The detail of the sale process is commercially confidential.

Cancer: Research

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding for research grants into cancer was provided to individuals and organisations in the UK by the European Research Council in the last 10 years.

Joseph Johnson: The UK Government does not hold this information. The European Research Council (ERC) supports excellent science across all areas of research. It is therefore not possible to isolate the exact amount of funding the UK has received for all research projects that have relevance to cancer research. Details of all ERC funded projects can be found on their website: https://erc.europa.eu/projects-and-results/erc-funded-projects

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with NFU Scotland to extend the Principle of Fair Dealing within the Groceries Supply Code of Practice so that it covers primary producers that supply supermarkets directly.

Margot James: I have not had discussions with NFU Scotland on the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. However, the Code already covers direct suppliers to those supermarkets that are subject to the Code.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to publish its response to the Groceries Code Adjudicator review.

Margot James: The public consultation for the Statutory Review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) ran from 18 October 2016 to 10 January 2017, alongside a public call for evidence on the GCA’s remit. The Government is now considering the responses received. The Government response on the Statutory Review element is expected to be published in spring 2017.

Business: Regulation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to update and publish online the Better Regulations Framework Manual.

Margot James: In October 2016, the Public Accounts Committee in its Better Regulation Report (18th Report 2016-17) made recommendations in relation to the better regulation framework. The Government accepted these recommendations and has conducted a review of the efficiency of the better regulation system. The Government will publish a revised Better Regulation Framework Manual following final agreement of the package of efficiency changes.

Employment: Disability

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support his Department has made available in 2016-17 to assist employers supporting disabled people.

Margot James: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Industry: Disability

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent meetings and discussions he has had with disability organisations on his Department's industrial strategy.

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what provision he has made in his Department's industrial strategy for disabled people.

Margot James: The industrial strategy green paper, Building our Industrial Strategy, is part of a consultative approach to developing our strategy and seeks views from organisations across the country, including disability organisations. I look forward to further engagement with them, building on engagement with my officials to date.The Government is clear that the industrial strategy is part of our work to deliver an economy that works for everyone, including disabled people. In particular, the Government’s green paper Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper considers how we can improve employment outcomes for disabled people. Many employers are already creating healthy, inclusive workplaces, but more needs to be done so that employers provide the support needed for employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions, to help them get into and stay in work.The Improving Lives consultation closes on 17th February, and we will be working to ensure its outcomes are aligned with our industrial strategy.

EURATOM

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of leaving the European Atomic Energy Community on the construction of Hinkley Point C.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EURATOM

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of leaving the European Atomic Energy Community on projects that require the co-operation of American nuclear energy companies.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EURATOM

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on plans to leave Euratom; and on what dates those discussions took place.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EURATOM

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of plans to leave Euratom on UK nuclear capacity, research and business plans.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Consumer Advice, Protection, Standards and Enforcement for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Independent Review

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will set a deadline for industry to develop detailed plans to implement the recommendations in his Department's publication, Each Home Counts review, published in December 2016.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Defence

Electronic Warfare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many offensive cyber attacks the Government has authorised since 2010.

Mike Penning: Details of any UK cyber capability or operations are being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Electronic Warfare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Ministers in his Department are responsible for authorising offensive cyber attacks on other states or terrorist groups.

Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for authorising the military use of force in cyberspace in accordance with domestic and international law. Authorities may be delegated in accordance with the Ministry of Defence Full Spectrum Targeting Policy.

Hightown Barracks

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many people and (b) in what roles work in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Hightown Barracks, Wrexham.

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he or officials of his Department have had with developers on the future of the Hightown Barracks site in Wrexham.

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of merging 101 Battalion REME with 105 Battalion REME in its relations with the communities in (a) Wrexham and (b) North Wales.

Mark Lancaster: Hightown Barracks Army Reserve Centre in Wrexham is home to the headquarters of 101 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Delivered by 16 regular and Full Time Reservists, 31 reservists and eight civil servants (predominantly officers, warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers and civilian equivalents), the headquarters provides command and administrative functions for the battalion.In addition to the battalion headquarters, also occupying the Hightown Barracks Army Reserve Centre are a Platoon from 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh (31 Reservists including one officer), a detachment from Wales University Officer Training Corps (two senior non-commissioned officers and 25 officer cadets) and a detachment of Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force (four adults and 50 cadets). There are currently no plans to close this centre and the Department has consequently had no contact with developers about its future.The Army remains committed to North Wales and in addition to those elements above in Hightown Barracks Army Reserve Centre, there will also be Army Reserve units in Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Caenarfon, and Queensferry. The Army Cadet Force also has a wide geographic spread across the area.

Ministry of Defence: Cleaning Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the hourly pay-rate is for his Department's cleaning staff.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 March 2016 to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West) to Question 28601.



28601 - WQnA extract on MOD Cleaning Services
(Word Document, 14.1 KB)

Armed Forces: Complaints

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of in-service complaints were not dealt with in the recommended time for disposal within each of the three armed forces in each of the last three years.

Mark Lancaster: Information on the numbers and proportion of Service complaints which met the stipulated target of 24 weeks in calendar years 2014 and 2015 is available in the Annual Reports of, respectively, the Service Complaints Commissioner and the Service Complaints Ombudsman. These publications can be found at the following link:http://www.servicecomplaintsombudsman.org.uk/service-complaints-ombudsman/publications-and-reports/annual-reports/Information for 2016 is currently being compiled for inclusion in the Service Complaints Ombudsman's Annual Report 2016.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian staff by civil service grade were employed by his Department in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster: The number of civilian staff, by civil service grade, employed by the Ministry of Defence in each year since 2010, is published in Annex Table 1b - Civilian personnel numbers by Top Level Budgetary Area1 (Head Count) in the 1 October 2016 issue of the Ministry of Defence Civilian Personnel Quarterly Statistics.This publication can be found on the Gov.UK website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mod-civilian-personnel-quarterly-statistics-index

HMS Ocean

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy personnel are currently assigned duties aboard HMS Ocean.

Mike Penning: HMS OCEAN has a complement of 380 when in her normal operating role.Ships' complements are not fixed; they vary, even across a class, depending on equipment fits and tasking.

Royal Logistic Corps

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle of the Royal Logistics Corps is of the Army by manpower and basing locations.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle of the Royal Armoured Corps is by manpower and basing.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle of the Royal Artillery is by manpower and basing.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle of the Corps of Royal Engineers is by manpower and basing.

Mike Penning: Order of Battle manpower information for the regiments and corps in question is not held centrally in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The basing locations of the major British Army units within the requested regiments and corps, as at January 2017, are provided below.  Regt/CorpsMajor Unit*TownRoyal Armoured CorpsHousehold Cavalry RegimentWindsorRoyal Armoured CorpsHousehold Cavalry Mounted RegimentLondonRoyal Artillery1st Regiment Royal Horse ArtilleryTidworthRoyal Artillery3rd Regiment Royal Horse ArtilleryHarlow HillRoyal Artillery7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse ArtilleryColchesterRoyal Armoured Corps1st The Queen's Dragoon GuardsSwanton MorleyRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers And Greys)LeucharsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Dragoon GuardsCatterickRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Queen’s Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own and Royal IrishPaderbornRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal LancersCatterickRoyal Armoured CorpsThe King's Royal HussarsTidworthRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Light DragoonsCatterickRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Tank RegimentTidworthRoyal Artillery4th Regiment Royal ArtilleryTopcliffeRoyal Artillery5th Regiment Royal ArtilleryCatterickRoyal Artillery12th Regiment Royal ArtilleryThorney IslandRoyal Artillery14th Regiment Royal ArtilleryLarkhillRoyal Artillery16th Regiment Royal ArtilleryThorney IslandRoyal Artillery19th Regiment Royal ArtilleryTidworthRoyal Artillery26th Regiment Royal ArtilleryGutersloghRoyal Artillery29th Commando Regiment Royal ArtilleryPlymouthRoyal Artillery32nd Regiment Royal ArtilleryLarkhillRoyal Artillery47th Regiment Royal ArtilleryLarkhillRoyal Engineers21 Engineer RegimentRiponRoyal Engineers22 Engineer RegimentPerham DownRoyal Engineers23 Parachute Engineer RegimentWoodbridgeRoyal Engineers24 Commando Engineer RegimentChivenorRoyal Engineers26 Engineer RegimentPerham DownRoyal Engineers32 Engineer RegimentCatterickRoyal Engineers33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)WimbishRoyal Engineers35 Engineer RegimentPaderbornRoyal Engineers36 Engineer RegimentMaidstoneRoyal Engineers39 Engineer RegimentKinlossRoyal Engineers42 Engineer Regiment (Geographical)RAF WytonRoyal Engineers101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)WimbishRoyal Engineers62 Works Group Royal EngineersChilwellRoyal Engineers63 Works Group Royal EngineersChilwellRoyal Engineers64 Works Group Royal EngineersChilwellRoyal Engineers66 Works Group Royal EngineersChilwellRoyal Engineers20 Works Group Royal Engineers (Air Support)WitteringRoyal Logistic Corps1 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsBicesterRoyal Logistic Corps3 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsAbingdonRoyal Logistic Corps4 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsAbingdonRoyal Logistic Corps6 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsDishforthRoyal Logistic Corps7 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsCottesmoreRoyal Logistic Corps9 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsHullavingtonRoyal Logistic Corps10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic RegimentAldershotRoyal Logistic Corps11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsDidcotRoyal Logistic Corps13 (Air Assault) Support Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsColchesterRoyal Logistic Corps17 Port And Maritime Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsMarchwoodRoyal Logistic Corps24 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsCamberley moving to WinchesterRoyal Logistic Corps27 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsAldershotRoyal Logistic Corps29 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsSouth CerneyRoyal Logistic CorpsAllied Rapid Reaction Corps Support BattalionInnsworthRoyal EngineersThe Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)MonmouthRoyal ArtilleryThe Honourable Artillery CompanyLondonRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal YeomanryLondonRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Wessex YeomanryBovingtonRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Queen's Own YeomanryNewcastle Upon TyneRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Scottish And North Irish YeomanryEdinburghRoyal Artillery101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal ArtilleryGatesheadRoyal Artillery103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal ArtillerySt HelensRoyal Artillery104th Regiment Royal ArtilleryNewportRoyal Artillery105th Regiment Royal ArtilleryEdinburghRoyal Artillery106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal ArtilleryGrove ParkRoyal Engineers71 Engineer RegimentLeucharsRoyal Engineers75 Engineer RegimentWarringtonRoyal Engineers65 Works Group Royal EngineersChilwellRoyal Logistic Corps150 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsHullRoyal Logistic Corps151 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsCroydonRoyal Logistic Corps152 (North Irish) Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsHolywoodRoyal Logistic Corps156 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsLiverpoolRoyal Logistic Corps158 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsPeterboroughRoyal Logistic Corps154 (Scottish) Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsDunfermlineRoyal Logistic Corps157 (Welsh) Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsCardiffRoyal Logistic Corps162 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsNottinghamRoyal Logistic Corps165 Port And Maritime The Regiment Royal Logistic CorpsPlymouthRoyal Logistic Corps159 Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsCoventryRoyal Logistic Corps167 Catering Support Regiment The Royal Logistic CorpsGranthamRoyal Logistic Corps2 Operational Support Group The Royal Logistic CorpsGrantham *Unit information has been provided in the British Army Order of Precedence

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the end-of-year budget was for the (a) Royal Military, (b) Royal Naval, (c) Royal Air Force Police and (d) Ministry of Defence Police in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster: Information on the annual expenditure for the Service and Ministry of Defence Police forces in each financial year (FY) since 2010 is shown below. Royal Military Police FYExpenditure (£ million)2009-10Not available2010-11Not available2011-12176.72012-13183.62013-14186.72014-15189.62015-16216.6Note:Figures for Royal Military Police expenditure before FY 2011-12 are not held. Royal Air Force Police FYExpenditure (£ million)2009-10Not available2010-11Not available2011-12Not available2012-13Not available2013-14Not available2014-152.42015-162.6Note:Figures for Royal Air Force Police expenditure before financial year 2014-15 are not held. Ministry of Defence Police FYExpenditure (£ million)2009-10182.52010-11172.92011-12163.32012-13144.12013-14140.82014-15141.22015-16136.5  I am unable to provide information for the Royal Navy Police (RNP). As the structure has evolved since FY 2009-10 analysis of the RNP organisation would be required for each year to establish exact costs for each FY. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

RAF Regiment

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle of the Royal Air Force Regiment is by manpower, task and basing.

Mike Penning: The RAF Regiment provides force protection for airfields and counter Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) capability. It also acts as the RAF's ceremonial unit. As at 1 December 2016 its trained strength was 1,920 Regular and 570 Reserve personnel. The table below provides the RAF Regiment’s Order of Battle including component units, locations and tasks.  SerUnitTaskLocationRegular units1No 2 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Leeming2No 3 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Marham3No 4 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Brize Norton4No 5 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Lossiemouth5No 7 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Coningsby6No 8 RAF Force Protection Wing HQForce ProtectionRAF Waddington7No 20 (Defence CBRN) WingCounter-Chemical Biological Radiological and NuclearRAF Honington81 Squadron RAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Honington9II Squadron RAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Honington1015 Squadron RAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Honington1126 Squadron RAF RegimentCounter-Chemical Biological Radiological and NuclearRAF Honington1227 Squadron RAF RegimentCounter-Chemical Biological Radiological and NuclearRAF Honington1334 Squadron RAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Leeming1451 Squadron RAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Lossiemouth15The Queen’s Colour Squadron (63 Squadron RAF Regiment)State Ceremonial / Force ProtectionRAF Northolt Part Time Volunteer Reserve units16603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron RAuxAFForce Protection (manned by RAF Police and RAF Regiment personnel)Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh17606 (Chiltern) Squadron RAuxAFJoint Helicopter Command Support (Force Protection Flight manned by RAF Regiment personnel)RAF Benson18609 Squadron (West Riding) RAuxAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Leeming192503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron RAuxAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Waddington202620 (County of Norfolk) Squadron RAuxAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Marham212622 (Highland) Squadron RAuxAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Lossiemouth222623 (East Anglian) Squadron RAuxAF RegimentForce Protection / Counter-Chemical Biological Radiological and NuclearRAF Honington232624 (County of Oxford) Squadron RAuxAF RegimentForce ProtectionRAF Brize Norton

Aircraft Carriers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel he expects to be routinely allocated to a maritime task group centred on a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier as described in paragraph 4.40 in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, Cm 9161.

Mike Penning: A Maritime Task Group will be tailored to meet the required task. The precise number and mix of vessels, and therefore the number of personnel, would depend on the operational circumstances at the time.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Opportunity and Integration Review

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's response to the Casey report includes providing extra resources to councils to fund ESOL provision.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 13 January 2017



Dame Louise Casey's report is comprehensive and covers a wide range of important issues, including the need for every community in Britain to speak English.It is right that Government should take the time necessary to consider her findings.In the spring, we will come forward with our plans for tackling the issues raised by Dame Louise, so that we can continue to build a country that works for everyone.

Private Rented Housing: Homelessness

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2017 to Question 58921, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of re-introducing funding for private rented sector access schemes to support single homeless people to access private rented housing.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 20 January 2017



Policy proposals to help vulnerable people and low income households to access and maintain tenancies in the Private Rented Sector were discussed at recent meetings of the Affordability & Security Working group. The group is made up of representatives from across the housing sector to look at what more we can do to improve affordability and security within the private rented sector. The working group’s final report is due to be submitted to ministers for consideration by the end of January.We are committed to preventing homelessness. That is why we have protected £315 million for local authority homelessness prevention funding, secured £149 million central government funding in this Parliament, and we are supporting Bob Blackman’s Homelessness Reduction Bill, which will ensure that everyone who needs it, is supported to prevent a homelessness crisis.We recently announced the allocation of our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme which is supporting 84 projects covering 225 areas all over England to provide an innovative approach to tackling homelessness, with prevention at its heart. This includes £20m for those at imminent risk of sleeping rough to secure accommodation and get them back on their feet.We are also investing £100 million to deliver low-cost accommodation for those ready to move on from a homelessness crisis – including rough sleepers leaving hostel accommodation. Details of the bidding process outside London will be announced by the Homes and Communities Agency in the spring.

Social Services: Finance

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of revenue to be raised by the social care precept in (a) Southampton, (b) the five poorest local authorities and (c) the five wealthiest local authorities in England in 2017-18.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 20 January 2017



I refer to the Department's response to the written question HL4037 answered on 28 December 2016, which sets out the potential revenue raised for all local authorities:www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2016-12-12/HL4037/

Social Rented Housing: Expenditure

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much capital has been spent on social housing in (a) Leeds East constituency, (b) Leeds, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) the UK in each year since 2010.

Gavin Barwell: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect data on capital spent on social housing at constituency level or for the UK.Central Government’s capital expenditures on social housing through government’s affordable homes programmes are available publicly for the National Affordable Homes Programme 2008-11, the Affordable Homes Programme 2011-2015, the Affordable Homes Programme 2015-2018 and the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21.Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 initial allocations:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/affordable-homes-programme-2016-to-2021-successful-biddersData are only available by Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) operating areas.Affordable Homes Programme 2015-18 initial allocations: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/affordable-homes-programme-2015-to-2018-guidance-and-allocations#allocationsData are only available by HCA operating areas.Affordable Homes Programme 2015-18 quarterly updates:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/affordable-homes-programme-2015-to-2018-quarterly-updatesData are only available by HCA operating areas.Affordable Homes Programme 2011-15 initial allocations, signed contracts and quarterly updates:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/affordable-homes-programme-2011-to-2015-guidance-and-allocationsData are only available for HCA operating areas and by local authorities.National Affordable Homes Programme 2008-11 – Investment statement, Yorkshire and Humbersidehttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20071204140632/http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/nav.4140Data are only available by HCA operating areasData on local Government’s capital expenditure on social housing are not available before 2013-14. The data for 2013-14 onwards are available in the Housing Revenue Account Capital Expenditure, financing and major repairs reserve which can be found at:2013-14: ttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/396498/2013-14_FINAL_Capital_exp_and_financing_for_HRA.xlsx2014-15: ttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473580/2014-15_Capital_expenditure_and_financing_for_Housing_Revenue_Account.xlsxGovernment is investing £9.4 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts by March 2021 - the largest housing programme by any Government since the 1970s.

Floods: Housing

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of properties that have been built in high flood-risk areas in (a) Hull and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber after 1 January 2009.

Gavin Barwell: The Department does not hold comprehensive figures for the number of homes built in high flood-risk areas but published statistics on the proportion of new residential addresses created in flood zone 3 areas are available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/573278/1516_Land_Use_Change_Statistics_Live_Tables.xlsx (Table p320).National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk. Where development is necessary in a flood risk area and there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower probability of flooding, it should be safe, flood resilient and not increase flood risk elsewhere. Otherwise, it should not be permitted. The Department’s statistics report only the proportion of new residential addresses created in flood zone 3 areas; they do not reflect the safety measures incorporated. For example they do not take account of the presence of flood defences.

Housing: Construction

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much New Homes Bonus funding has been received by (a) Swindon Borough Council and (b) all local authorities in each year since the inception of that funding.

Gavin Barwell: Swindon Borough Council has received the following amounts in New Homes Bonus in each year since its inception:Year 1 (2011-12): £1,451,214Year 2 (2012-13): £2,783,259Year 3 (2013-14): £4,005,405 Year 4 (2014-15): £5,074,524Year 5 (2015-16): £6,102,568Year 6 (2016-17): £7,007,604The total amount of New Homes Bonus which has been awarded to Local Authorities since its inception is:Year 1 (2011-12): £ 199,260,649Year 2 (2012-13): £ 431,890,216Year 3 (2013-14): £ 668,339,313 Year 4 (2014-15): £ 916,973,547Year 5 (2015-16): £ 1,167,637,982 Year 6 (2016-17): £ 1,461,855,324I will place a table that shows how much New Homes Bonus has been received by all local authorities in each year since the inception of this funding, in the Library of the House.

Business Rates Retention Scheme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the summary of responses to his Department's consultation on 100 per cent business rates retention; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 30 January 2017



By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of around an additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. In order to ensure that the reforms are fiscally neutral, these new powers will come with additional responsibilities, as well as phasing out some grants from Whitehall. This move towards self-sufficiency and away from dependence on central government is something councils have long campaigned for. There were over 450 responses to the Government’s summer consultation. My officials are currently considering all responses and we will publish a summary of the responses and our proposals for the broad way forward shortly.On 13 January 2017 we introduced the Local Government Finance Bill that will establish the framework for the reformed system. All relevant documents can be found here: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html. We will continue to work closely with local government during the passage of the legislation, to shape the detail of the reforms.

Business Rates Retention Scheme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish details of the pilot schemes for 100 per cent business rates retention; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 30 January 2017



The Government will confirm the details of the 100 per cent Business Rates Retention pilots alongside the final local government finance settlement.

Social Workers: Labour Turnover

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the retention rate is for newly-qualified social workers who were recorded in service in each year from November 2010 to November 2015; and how many such social workers entered service in that time period.

Mr Marcus Jones: The information is not collected by the department.

Health: Finance

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question HL3395, if the Government will hold a public consultation on the effect on future arrangements for public health funding of Government proposals on business rate retention by local authorities.

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of devolution of the public health grant and 100 per cent business rates retention on local authorities' delivery of the public health outcomes framework from 2018-19.

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the potential effect on local authorities conduct of statutory duties and public health responsibilities of the Government's proposals for 100 per cent business rates retention from 2018-19 and the devolution of the public health grant.

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of its proposals for 100 per cent business rates retention and devolution of the public health grant on the capacity of local authorities to work to reduce health inequalities from 2018-19.

Mr Marcus Jones: By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100 per cent of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of around an additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. Councils have long campaigned for this move towards local self-sufficiency. In order that these reforms are revenue neutral, local authorities will have £12.5 billion of additional responsibilities delegated to them. We consulted last Summer on these reforms, including on which additional functions should be delegated, and had over 450 responses. My officials are currently considering all responses and we will publish a summary of the responses and our proposals for the broad way forward in due course.If public health responsibilities were to be resourced through retained business rates, then this would change the funding mechanism by which the resource is supplied to local authorities, but would not change the legal requirements on local authorities to improve public health.The legislative framework for public health would remain, including regulations mandating particular services. If public health responsibilities were to be resourced through retained business rates then the Government would also consider whether any adjustments to this framework are necessary, and if required the Government would consult on any proposed changes.

Business Rates Retention Scheme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of the introduction of the Business Rate Retention Scheme in April 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 30 January 2017



The Government published "Business rates retention scheme: the economic benefits of local business rates retention" in May 2012.

Homelessness

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to establish a postcode for people made homeless which may be used for job applications and registration with GPs.

Mr Marcus Jones: Day centres and hostels will frequently operate as a care of address when required. For those people who are homeless and receive support under the main homelessness duty they are provided with temporary accommodation and can use that address.

Country Parks: Parking

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of parking charges at country parks on visitor numbers.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many country parks managed by local authorities there are in each parliamentary constituency; and how many of those country parks charge for parking.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department does not record the number of country parks that exist in each Parliamentary constituency. That is a matter for local authorities.My Department asks councils to report on off-street parking including the charges they set. This would include charges set in country park car parks where they exist.

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps to check whether recipients of loans from the Home Building Fund pay business taxes in the UK.

Gavin Barwell: The Home Building Fund is administered by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Whilst the HCA does not ask specific questions with regard to business taxes, in line with UK government stated expectations, we require our customers to pay all relevant UK taxes.The HCA’s commercial activities are subject to regulatory supervision as required by the Money Laundering Regulations 2007. Consequently, the HCA are registered with the financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for supervision of anti-money laundering controls. Tax evasion specifically is a criminal offence and now forms part of the definition of ‘criminal activity’ under the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive.The FCA and Anti Money Laundering laws and regulations require the HCA to adopt a risk-based Know Your Customer (KYC) programme, which requires the HCA to make additional enquiries with regard to tax status where our customer identification and verification checks identify possible red flags for tax avoidance/ evasion. For example, where a customer operates through a complex organisation structure, which may also be offshore based.In these situations, the HCA will obtain independent tax advice (or other independent evidence) where we feel that this is necessary, the output of which may determine whether we can enter into or continue an existing relationship with a customer in the event of any concerns being identified.

Planning: Sustainable Development

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to the planning system on achieving the National Planning Policy Framework's policies on sustainable development.

Gavin Barwell: The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that sustainable development should be at the heart of planning, and should be pursued in a positive and integrated way. Alongside our planning reforms and locally-led planning system, the Framework has since 2012 achieved the right balance between encouraging growth and retaining environmental safeguards. The forthcoming Housing White Paper will propose further reforms to make the planning system more effective, but nothing that would undermine the principles of sustainability set out in the Framework.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of parking charges on the viability of town centre economies.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department has not made an assessment of the effect of parking charges on the viability of town centre economies. Local authorities are responsible for determining local parking needs and setting parking charges, which includes considering the effect of parking charges on town centre economies.

Scotland Office

Clydesdale Bank: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has made representations to the Clydesdale Bank after that Bank's announcement of 18 January 2017 to close 40 branches in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: While decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government, the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible. The UK Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking protocol announced in March 2015. The Protocol sets out a number of steps a bank must take if it is closing a branch, including establishing the impact of a branch closure before it takes place; finding suitable alternative provision; and putting satisfactory alternative measures in place before a branch is closed. Professor Russell Griggs’ recently published his ‘one year on’ review evaluating the operation of the Protocol to date. The Government is pleased to see that, following the publication of the review, the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by closures. On 24 January, the UK Government was also pleased to see a new agreement between the Post Office and UK banks which means that many more individuals and businesses can now use 11,600 local Post Office branches to access a wider range of banking services. The Government welcomes these on-going efforts to open up banking services so they are more convenient for everyone that uses them.

Department for International Trade

Carbon Capture and Storage: Exports

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the export potential of new carbon capture technology developed at UK universities.

Greg Hands: Export potential for this – and all other technologies in which the UK has a comparative advantage – are assessed annually as part of the Department’s planning processes.

Department for International Trade: Chief Scientific Advisers

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to fill the vacancy at the post of Chief Scientific Advisor to his Department.

Greg Hands: Officials in the Department for International trade are working with Sir Mark Walport, the Government Chief Scientific Advisor, and the Government Office for Science to provide advice on the specification for any such role.

Department for International Trade: Advertising

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the cost to date has been of his Department's trade and investment campaign, launched on 25 January 2017; and how much of that cost has been incurred through advertising in international airport hubs.

Greg Hands: Holding answer received on 02 February 2017



The total budget for the Department’s trade and investment marketing campaign covering April 2016 to March 2017 is £12.3m. Of this, £2.4m is being spent on promotion in international hub airports as part of a multichannel marketing approach to target international decision makers. The campaign aims to attract high quality inward investment leads and business opportunities for British companies. The initiative is part of the government’s GREAT Britain campaign, which has so far secured confirmed economic returns of £2.5 billion for the UK, with a further £2 billion of returns currently being appraised.

Arms Trade: Exports

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many arms export licences have been granted in the last six months; and what the destination country was of each of those applications.

Mark Garnier: The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted and refused on Gov.uk.They are available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-dataCurrently this includes information up to 30 September 2016. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2016 will be published on 19 April 2017 and information covering 1 January to 31 March 2017 will be published on 18 July 2017.

Women and Equalities

Pornography: Internet

Sarah Champion: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her policy is on continuing direct grant funding from her Department to support the revenge porn helpline.

Caroline Dinenage: The Revenge Porn Helpline has received over 5000 calls relating to over 1200 individual cases since it opened in 2015. The Government Equalities Office has funded the first two years of the service and provided just under £180,000 over this period. Future funding decisions will be announced later in the year.

Sex and Relationship Education

Peter Kyle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if the Government will introduce statutory sex and relationships education to tackle homophobic bullying and sexual harassment in schools.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government wants to ensure that all schools are safe, inclusive environments where pupils can fulfil their potential. The Government is considering how to improve delivery of sex and relationships education, including updating the existing guidance.In September, we announced a £2.8 million programme to prevent and address homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools in England. Government also launched the Disrespect Nobody campaign to help young people recognise and challenge abuse within teen relationships.

Department for Transport

Department for Transport: EU Law

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

Andrew Jones: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 20 January 2017.The correct answer should have been:

The UK remains a member of the EU until we leave, with full rights and obligations of membership. This includes transposing EU legislation into UK law. The Department for Transport is aware of the following directives relating to the Department’s responsibilities for which transposition is planned: Directive 2003/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 April 2003 amending Council Directive 91/671/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnesDIRECTIVE 2012/34/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway areaAmending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’) (Text with EEA relevance)Directive 2013/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields) (20th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) and repealing Directive 2004/40/EC.COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/882 of 1 June 2016 amending Directive 2007/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards language requirements (Text with EEA relevance).Commission Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/ECDIRECTIVE 2014/94/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructureamending Annex II to Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residuesCOUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2014/112 of 19 December 2014 implementing the European Agreement concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time in inland waterway transportCOUNCIL DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/652 of 20 April 2015 laying down calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuelsDIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/719 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 29 April 2015 amending Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international trafficDIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/413 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2015 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offencesDirective 2014/52/EU on the assessment of the effects of public and private projects on the environmentDIRECTIVE 2014/45/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC (Text with EEA relevance)DIRECTIVE 2014/46/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 amending Council Directive 1999/37/EC on the registration documents for vehiclesDIRECTIVE 2014/47/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on the technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing Directive 2000/30/EC (Text with EEA relevance).COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/844 of 27 May 2016 amending Directive 2009/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety rules and standards for passenger ships (Text with EEA relevance).Co-decided (EU) Directive 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on promotion of use of energy from renewable sources)Directive (EU) 2015/1794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 2015 amending Directives 2008/94/EC, 2009/38/EC and 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Council Directives 98/59/EC and 2001/23/EC, as regards seafarers (1) Commission Directive (EU) 2016/1106 of 7 July 2016 amending Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences.DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/797 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (recast).DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/798 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on railway safety (recast).Directive (EU) 2016/2370 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 amending Directive 2012/34/EU as regards the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure.Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, amending Directive 2009/100/EC and repealing Directive 2006/87/EC

Andrew Jones: The UK remains a member of the EU until we leave, with full rights and obligations of membership. This includes transposing EU legislation into UK law. The Department for Transport is aware of the following directives relating to the Department’s responsibilities for which transposition is planned: Directive 2003/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 April 2003 amending Council Directive 91/671/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnesDIRECTIVE 2012/34/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway areaAmending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’) (Text with EEA relevance)Directive 2013/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields) (20th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) and repealing Directive 2004/40/EC.COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/882 of 1 June 2016 amending Directive 2007/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards language requirements (Text with EEA relevance).Commission Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/ECDIRECTIVE 2014/94/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructureamending Annex II to Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residuesCOUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2014/112 of 19 December 2014 implementing the European Agreement concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time in inland waterway transportCOUNCIL DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/652 of 20 April 2015 laying down calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuelsDIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/719 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 29 April 2015 amending Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international trafficDIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/413 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2015 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offencesDirective 2014/52/EU on the assessment of the effects of public and private projects on the environmentDIRECTIVE 2014/45/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC (Text with EEA relevance)DIRECTIVE 2014/46/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 amending Council Directive 1999/37/EC on the registration documents for vehiclesDIRECTIVE 2014/47/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on the technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing Directive 2000/30/EC (Text with EEA relevance).COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/844 of 27 May 2016 amending Directive 2009/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety rules and standards for passenger ships (Text with EEA relevance).Co-decided (EU) Directive 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on promotion of use of energy from renewable sources)Directive (EU) 2015/1794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 2015 amending Directives 2008/94/EC, 2009/38/EC and 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Council Directives 98/59/EC and 2001/23/EC, as regards seafarers (1) Commission Directive (EU) 2016/1106 of 7 July 2016 amending Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences.DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/797 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (recast).DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/798 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on railway safety (recast).Directive (EU) 2016/2370 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 amending Directive 2012/34/EU as regards the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure.Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, amending Directive 2009/100/EC and repealing Directive 2006/87/EC

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of roadworks sites which are unmanned overnight and at weekends.

Mr John Hayes: Highways England recognises the appearance of general inactivity on roadworks is a concern for road users and is making improvements in informing its customers what works are happening, why and what benefits are expected. In addition, they are also looking at more efficient ways of working to make best use of lane closures to increase productivity and minimise the duration and impact of roadworks on their customers.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether funds paid out to properties under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme or Need to Sell Scheme which no longer fulfil the criteria of those schemes where the route of High Speed 2 is changed will be recovered.

Andrew Jones: It is the Government’s intention that properties acquired under the various HS2 compensation schemes and that are not required for construction of the railway will be returned to the housing market. Where this occurs properties will be sold at market value.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average amount is that has been paid out to people under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Andrew Jones: The Government recognises that proposals for HS2 can cause uncertainty for individuals, communities and small businesses and has had an effect on property prices in the vicinity of the route. As a result it launched an Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) to assist those most affected to sell their home to Government at its unblighted market value. The average amount paid out under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme is £629,395.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities were successful in their bids for the Access Fund for funding to improve access to jobs and education through cycling and walking; and how much funding each authority secured.

Andrew Jones: On 26 January 2017, the Department for Transport announced the outcome of the Access Fund, a £60 million revenue competition which was open to all local transport authorities within England (outside London). A full list of the successful bids and the amounts of funding awarded is available at the link below.Access Fund: funding decisions 2017 to 2020https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-fund-funding-decisions-2017-to-2020

Helicopters: Safety

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what analysis of the effectiveness of additional gearbox condition monitoring on the AS332 L2 and the EC225 was undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) regulatory authorities after the accident at Peterhead on 1 April 2009.

Mr John Hayes: The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) assesses whether responses to recommendations meet the intent of the recommendations and publishes its findings in an Annual Safety Report (previously named the Progress Report) on its website www.aaib.gov.uk The AAIB does not monitor the implementation of safety recommendations. It is the responsibility of the regulatory authorities, in this case the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to monitor the implementation and the effectiveness of recommendations made by the AAIB.

Helicopters: Safety

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what monitoring his Department has undertaken of implementation of the Air Accident Investigation Branch's safety recommendations made as a result of its report on the accident at Peterhead on 1 April 2009.

Mr John Hayes: The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) made 17 recommendations as a result of its investigation into the accident to Aerospatiale (Eurocopter) AS332 L2 Super Puma, G-REDL on 1 April 2009. Of these two remain “open”. The AAIB assesses whether responses to recommendations meet the intent of the recommendations and publishes its findings in an Annual Safety Report (previously named the Progress Report) on its website www.aaib.gov.uk The AAIB does not monitor the implementation of safety recommendations.

Helicopters: North Sea

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with helicopter operators and manufacturers on steps to reassure workers in the North Sea about the maintenance and operational record of the helicopter fleet.

Mr John Hayes: The Civil Aviation Authority are committed to the safety of oil and gas workers and continue to engage with the industry to ensure that these aircraft are safe. The Offshore Helicopter Safety Leadership Group (OHSLG), made up of helicopter operators, unions, member-organisations and the Civil Aviation Authority as the UK’s independent aviation safety regulator, works to ensure that offshore workers receive timely and accurate information on offshore helicopter safety. The latest example of this was the recent safety inspections of the Sikorsky S92 helicopter, where OHSLG members met in January and worked together to ensure the offshore workforce received immediate information on the inspections, their context and what they involved.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Leicestershire

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the public purse has been paid to owners of Leicestershire properties under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Andrew Jones: The amount paid out to eligible owner-occupiers in Leicestershire under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme was £2,964,420.

Transport: South West

Mrs Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve (a) the A38 and (b) other transport links to the South West.

Mr John Hayes: (a) Highways England is preparing Route Strategies to capture the state of England’s motorway and major trunk roads, following engagement and contributions from stakeholders. The A38 in Devon and Cornwall is part of the South West Peninsula Route Strategy, which will be published in March 2017. (b) Across the South West, the Government is investing in infrastructure to improve transport links across the South West. Highways England is undertaking projects to upgrade all remaining sections of the A303 between the M3 and the A358 to dual carriageway standard, as well as to the A30 in Cornwall. The Government is committed to investment in railway links between London and the South West, with an unprecedented investment in rail infrastructure totaling over £400m. The Government established a Public Service Obligation on the air route between Newquay Airport and London Gatwick in October 2014, which operates three times daily.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what total amount has been paid out under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Andrew Jones: The total amount paid out to date under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) is £146,019,531. The EHS is now closed for applications, though there are ongoing cases to be concluded.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have (a) applied and (b) had an application accepted for compensation under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Andrew Jones: The Government recognises that proposals for HS2 can cause uncertainty for individuals, communities and small businesses and has had an effect on property prices in the vicinity of the route. As a result it launched an Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) to assist those most affected to sell their home to Government at its unblighted market value. This scheme was superseded following consultation by the Need to Sell (NTS) scheme. Applications under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme were received from 610 properties (848 total applications, of which 238 were reapplications). 250 applications have been accepted. The EHS is now closed for applications, though there are ongoing cases to be concluded.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect on the motorsport industry of the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2014, Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13, that introduced the requirement for all motorised vehicles used off-road to be insured.

Andrew Jones: The Department is currently holding a public consultation on the implications of the Vnuk judgment. The Consultation impact assessment assesses the likely costs and benefits arising from the policy options. The consultation also asks whether stakeholders agree with that assessment and requests further information about the potential cost and benefits that will be used to assess the overall economic impacts of the policy options. We oppose any measures which impose an unreasonable burden on the public. We will use the consultation responses to get the best result for the country.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Leicestershire

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people in Leicestershire have (a) applied and (b) had an application accepted for compensation under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Andrew Jones: Exceptional Hardship Scheme applications were received from six properties in Leicestershire. Of these, three applications were accepted.

Virgin Trains: Fares

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Virgin Trains on consistency in ticket pricing within their franchise terms.

Paul Maynard: I regularly meet with all train operators including Virgin Trains and always interested in passenger benefit and value for money. Fares are made of regulated and unregulated fares. In general the fares that are regulated include commuter fares (in major cities), some weekly, monthly or annual season tickets, day singles and returns as well as some protected fares like long-distance off-peak return fares (formerly Saver Returns). Train operators set the price of rail fares within the framework set by the government, which places a limit on the maximum amount by which average regulated fares are permitted to rise in any single year. From 2016 to 2020 this limit will be set at RPI (Retail Price Index) + 0%. Other fares are unregulated, and train operators are permitted to set these on a commercial basis, taking account of competition from other transport modes and the need to attract business in order to grow their revenue.

Virgin Trains: Fares

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will discuss with Virgin Trains the extent to which its franchise agreement permits differentiation in ticket pricing for similar journeys to end from (a) Preston and (b) Lancaster stations.

Paul Maynard: Regular meetings are held with the Franchisee (Virgin Trains West Coast) to discuss various matters including management and monitoring of fares regulation through the Franchise Agreement. The Franchise Agreement sets out the terms of fares both regulated and un-regulated. The Government regulates the existence and price of certain rail fares. Through fares regulation the Government aims to strike an appropriate balance between protecting passengers from possible market abuse and allowing train operators scope for innovation. For unregulated fares Virgin can apply different peak/off-peak restrictions on a long distance route and they can segment the train journey according to market conditions. Unregulated fares include the lower cost Advance purchase fares which have been introduced by a number of operators. This has helped to make some leisure travel services significantly cheaper for passengers who are able to book ahead and commit themselves to travelling on a specific departure, this has also assisted with improved train occupancy.

Rolling Stock

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Government contracts for the procurement of new rolling stock contain provisions specifying the use of local contents in the supply chains for manufacturers who win those contracts.

Paul Maynard: Public sector procurement of new rolling stock is undertaken in accordance with the Utilities Contracts Regulations (UCR) 2016 as railways fall within the definition of a Utility under these regulations. The UCR 2016 requires treatment of all economic operators equally and without discrimination and to act in a transparent and proportionate manner. However, my department is exploring the scope within these Regulations for encouraging greater value to the UK economy from rolling stock procurement and wider investment in the rail sector. For example, the recently announced prior indicative notice for HS2 rolling stock procurement requires applicants to make clear how their proposals will add value to the UK economy in terms of skills, growth and employment opportunities.

Rolling Stock

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account his Department took of the potential merits of including in Government contracts for the procurement of new rolling stock provisions to support UK engineering capability.

Paul Maynard: Public sector procurement of new rolling stock is undertaken in accordance with the Utilities Contracts Regulations (UCR) 2016 as railways fall within the definition of a Utility under these regulations. The UCR 2016 requires treatment of all economic operators equally and without discrimination and to act in a transparent and proportionate manner. However, my department is exploring the scope within these Regulations for encouraging greater value to the UK economy from rolling stock procurement and wider investment in the rail sector. For example, the recently announced prior indicative notice for HS2 rolling stock procurement requires applicants to make clear how their proposals will add value to the UK economy in terms of skills, growth and employment opportunities.

M4: Greater London

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on air quality of increasing the capacity of the M4 between junctions 3 and 4 by creating a tunnel for additional traffic.

Mr John Hayes: The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the effect on air quality of increasing the capacity of the M4 between junctions 2 and 4 by creating a tunnel for additional traffic.

Southern: Standards

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2017 to Question 60337, if he will make it his policy to publish in full the advice provided to him by Chris Gibb; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: Chris Gibb has provided advice to the Secretary of State. This advice is of a technical nature and the Department is currently working through it so we can improve the railway for passengers.

Peter Wilkinson

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Peter Wilkinson notified the Department of any conflicts of interest while assessing the Govia Thameslink Railway bid.

Paul Maynard: The Department has robust safeguards in place to guard against any conflicts of interest.

Peter Wilkinson

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Peter Wilkinson has notified the Department of any conflicts of interest in the last three years.

Paul Maynard: The Department has robust safeguards in place to guard against any conflicts of interest.

Driverless Vehicles

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on the use of driverless cars on UK roads.

Mr John Hayes: The Government's detailed review into the legality of automated vehicles in the UK was published in February 2015, which established that there are no legal impediments to testing automated vehicles in the UK. This was followed by the publication of a Code of Practice for testing automated vehicles, which was published in July 2015. This established the UK as one of the best places in the world to develop and test automated vehicle technology, and since then a number of significant players have chosen the UK to test their vehicles. The Government established the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles in July 2015 to lead on this agenda, and has embarked on a rolling programme of regulatory reform which aims to adopt regulations in a timely manner to enable the safe and legal use of automated vehicle technologies on UK roads. The first wave of this programme included reforms to insurance that will require vehicles capable of automated driving to have appropriate insurance.

M1: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2017 to Question 61251, what steps he is taking to ensure that when the smart motorway opens on the M1 between junctions 32 and 35a there will be no increase in NO2 or particulate levels.

Mr John Hayes: Smart Motorways are at the core of Highways England’s £15bn investment programme to transform England’s Strategic Road Network, helping to ease congestion and improve traffic flow. Keeping traffic moving reduces stop-start decelerations and accelerations, which in itself has air quality benefits. Highways England will announce any measures to improve air quality on the M1 between junctions 32-35a when the Smart Motorway scheme opens, which is expected to be in March 2017. Highways England has undertaken environmental assessments of the scheme during the design and construction. These are available on Highways England’s website.

Cycling: Finance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the Department's total budget will be spent on cycling between 2015 and 2020.

Andrew Jones: This Government has trebled spending on cycling and making cycling safer. Estimated Government investment in walking and cycling until 2019-20 is over £1billion. This includes funding for Cycling Ambition Cities, Highways England, schemes already committed in the Local Growth Fund and a portion of the Integrated Transport Block based on previous trends. It does not include the funding to be allocated through the latest round of the Local Growth Fund. The department’s budget has also increased to spend record amounts of investment to upgrade road and rail, the biggest investment in a generation, and cycling schemes benefit from this investment.

Department for Transport: Disclosure of Information

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question 55011, for what reasons his Department provided the information requested in that Question to the Guardian newspaper in response to a Freedom of Information request but did not provide the information in that Answer.

Paul Maynard: The Department has not provided the information requested in Question 55011 to the Guardian.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Papua: Human Rights

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in West Papua.

Alok Sharma: We welcome the progress that has occurred in Papua and West Papua under President Jokowi. However we remain concerned with the human rights situation in Papua, including most recently a number of incidents involving security forces in December 2016 which resulted in fatalities. We encourage the Indonesian Human Rights Commission to complete investigations into human rights cases in West Papua impartially and objectively.

Piracy

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of threat from piracy in (a) current and (b) prospective shipping lanes of economic interest to the UK.

Sir Alan Duncan: Piracy remains a serious problem and the Government keeps threat levels under regular review. I chaired a Ministerial Working Group on Maritime Security on 3 November 2016, at which the range of threats to British maritime interests, including piracy was reviewed, and the work being done to protect our interests both at home and overseas.The Government's assessment is that piracy is on the decline in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore Strait. It remains suppressed but not eliminated in the West Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, where there remains a threat emanating from Somalia. In the Gulf of Guinea, we are concerned by an apparent increase in the number of attacks and a trend towards kidnapping crew for ransom.The UK continues to play a leading role in efforts to uphold global maritime security. We provide the Commander and Operational Headquarters for the EU's Operation Atalanta whose mission includes deterring and disrupting piracy in the Southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and a large part of the Indian Ocean. We also help to safeguard shipping in those areas through the Royal Navy's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). In June 2016 the Royal Navy and the French Marine Nationale established the 'Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade - Gulf of Guinea' reporting mechanism which enables information on maritime incidents to be shared with shipping in West Africa. We also support capacity building programmes in West and East Africa, and in South-East Asia.

Papua: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on conflict in West Papua.

Alok Sharma: Neither the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), nor his Ministerial team, have yet had an opportunity to discuss West Papua with their Indonesian counterparts. Our Ambassador to Indonesia visits Papua and West Papua annually, most recently in January 2016. During these visits, he meets key stakeholders in the regional government, police, universities and other officials and raises a range of issues with them regarding the situation in West Papua.

Papua: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote peace in West Papua.

Alok Sharma: The British Government supports the effort of those who are trying to address the problems of West Papua and enable it to enjoy the same level of peace, stability and prosperity as other parts of Indonesia. We also encourage meaningful dialogue between all parties and remain committed to urging all levels of government to work with Papuans towards solving their regional governance disputes peacefully.

Papua: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart from Papua New Guinea on conflict in West Papua.

Alok Sharma: ​Neither the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), nor his Ministerial team, have discussed West Papua with their counterparts from Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea: Visits Abroad

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) the Minister for Asia and the Pacific plans to visit Papua New Guinea in the near future.

Alok Sharma: Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers have no plans to visit Papua New Guinea in the near future. However, the UK values its relationship with Papua New Guinea and ministerial travel is constantly under review.

South China Sea: Disputed Territories

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on building on disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Alok Sharma: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised the South China Sea with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi during the UK-China Strategic Dialogue in London on 20 December. He noted the importance of abiding by international law in the South China Sea and refraining from activities which could raise tensions. As the Foreign Secretary has since stressed in a speech on 18 January, we oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea and we urge all parties to respect freedom of navigation and settle their disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. We regard last year's ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as binding on both China and the Philippines.

South China Sea: Disputed Territories

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Philippines on building on disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Alok Sharma: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), has not had discussions with his Philippine counterpart on building on disputed islands in the South China Sea. However, I discussed the situation in the South China Sea with Philippine interlocutors when I visited Manila in December, underlining the British Government's well known position. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in a speech on 18 January, we oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea and we urge all parties to respect freedom of navigation and settle their disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. We regard last year's ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as binding on both China and the Philippines.

South China Sea: Security

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the UK's Permanent Representative at the UN on the security situation in the South China Sea.

Alok Sharma: We oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea and we urge all parties to respect freedom of navigation and settle their disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. We do not comment on the content of discussions between ministers and their officials. However, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), discusses the full range of issues related to the UN with our Permanent Representative to the UN.

USA: Foreign Relations

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to visit the US; and when he plans to meet his US counterpart.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), travelled to the US on 8-9 January where he held constructive discussions with the then President elect Trump’s closest advisers and with Congressional leaders. We look forward to building ties with the US to safeguard the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead. The Foreign Secretary will meet his counterparts at the earliest opportunity once the Secretary of State has been appointed.

Israel: Bedouin

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Israeli authorities as a result of the demolition of Umm al-Hiran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​We have highlighted the significant interest in this issue in the UK with the Israeli authorities, and called on the Israeli authorities and Bedouin community to work together to find a solution that meets the needs and respects the rights of the people affected. This should include a robust planning process that adequately consults and addresses the needs of Israel’s Bedouin communities.

Emilsen Manyoma

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart on the murder of Emilsen Manyoma on 17 January 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​I refer the Hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 30 January 2017 to Written Question 61212.

South China Sea: Disputed Territories

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of military presence on the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea; and what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart of the security situation on those islands.

Alok Sharma: The UK is concerned about any actions in the South China Sea which might raise tensions or pose a risk to freedom of navigation and regional stability. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), made clear in a speech on 18 January, we oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea.The Foreign Secretary raised the South China Sea with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi during the UK-China Strategic Dialogue in London on 20 December. He noted the importance of abiding by international law in the South China Sea and refraining from activities which could raise tensions.

Mudawi Ibrahim Adam

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan, Chris Trott, raised the ongoing detention without charge of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam during his meeting with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, on 24 January 2017.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing detention of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and allegations that he has been tortured. Both our Ambassador in Khartoum and the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan most recently raised our concerns about this case directly with senior Sudanese Government figures, including Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on 24 January, during the visit of the UK Special Representative to Khartoum between 21-28 January. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum also pressed the Sudanese government to allow access for Dr Mudawi’s family, and we are aware that they visited him in prison on 27 January.

Mudawi Ibrahim Adam

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the alleged torture of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam by Sudanese authorities during his ongoing detention without charge; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing detention of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and allegations that he has been tortured. Both our Ambassador in Khartoum and the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan most recently raised our concerns about this case directly with senior Sudanese government figures, including Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on 24 January, during the visit of the UK Special Representative to Khartoum between 21-28 January. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum also pressed the Sudanese government to allow access for Dr Mudawi’s family, and we are aware that they visited him in prison on 27 January.

UK Permanent Representation to the EU: Staff

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to increase the size of the UK Representation to the EU once negotiations begin on the UK leaving the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: All parts of government are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. This means having talented people with the right skills in the right places. We are not in a position to give final details on future staff numbers in UKREP or elsewhere in government as this work is continuing.

State Visits

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost is to the public purse of each of the last three state visits to the UK.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The full cost of Inward State Visits is shared between a number of Government Departments.The costs of State Visits borne by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are published on the gov.uk website.

Colombia: Embassies

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by what date the UK Embassy in Bogota plans to comply with the Colombia Constitutional Court's judgment in the case of Action for protection of fundamental rights initiated by Darwin Ayrton Moreno-Hurtado, against the embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland before the Republic of Colombia, dated 22 July 2015.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

USA: Travel Restrictions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the recent Executive Order on travel to the US applies to people resident in the UK who were born in Somaliland and (a) are British citizens, (b) are citizens of another EEA country, (c) have indefinite leave to remain in the UK and (d) have another immigration status.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

USA: State Visits

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) The Speaker, (b) Lord Speaker, (c) the House of Commons Commission, (d) the Serjeant-at-Arms and (e) Black Rod on the use of the Palace of Westminster for an address by the President of the US.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​President Trump has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty the Queen to visit the UK. The arrangements for the State Visit have yet to be agreed.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the (a) level of earnings is of the (i) highest and (ii) lowest-paid employee and (b) median earnings are of employees of her Department and arms-length bodies.

James Wharton: The Office for National Statistics publishes annually the highest and median salary for each Civil Service organization as part of the Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found on the Office for National Statistics website at www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/medianpayannexbEarning levels for the lowest paid employee are not publically available.

Department for International Development: Consultants

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to cap the daily rate of consultants working (a) directly for and (b) for contractors working on projects funded by her Department.

James Wharton: The Secretary of State announced to the International Development Committee (IDC) on 19 December that DFID will conduct a fundamental review of supplier practices which will include looking at how to drive greater transparency of costs in our supply chain.

Gaza and West Bank: Health Services

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of Israel's border restrictions and permit system on urgent medical care for people resident in (a) the West Bank and (b) Gaza.

James Wharton: The availability of some medical supplies and services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) can be restricted by Israeli security procedures. A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report noted increasing restrictions, notably permit delays or denial, for patients who have been referred for further care outside Gaza and the West Bank. For Gaza this is particularly acute, and is compounded by frequent closure by Egypt of the Rafah crossing, preventing urgent medical cases from seeking treatment in Egypt.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much government funding is provided for climate action in developing countries.

James Wharton: Over the last five years, the UK Government has provided £3.87 billion for climate action in developing countries. This has, amongst other things, supported 21 million people to cope with the effects of climate change and helped 6.6 million people access clean energy.

Palestinians: EU Aid

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her press statement of 16 December 2016 on future UK support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, that she intends to channel payments to the Palestinian Authority directly through the EU's PEGASE mechanism, if she will set out what her policy is on making such payments after the UK leaves the EU.

James Wharton: The UK’s ability to use the EU PEGASE mechanism will not be affected when we leave the EU. Non-EU countries are able to channel funding through this mechanism.

Department for International Development: Contracts

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which contracts have been suspended by Ministers of her Department in the last three months.

James Wharton: No contracts over the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) threshold (currently £106,047) have been suspended by Ministers in the Department for International Development in the last three months.A number of procurements and payments were paused following recent concerns about DFID suppliers. We have also recently examined DFID programmes in OPT’s.

Developing Countries: Water

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to increase her Department's spending on water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

James Wharton: The UK Government has committed to help 60 million people to gain access to water and sanitation by 2020. The focus will be to deliver results with best value for money in order to control the total amount spent.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department plans to spend the revenue raised in the 2016-17 financial year from the apprenticeship levy.

Robert Halfon: The apprenticeship levy comes into effect on 6 April 2017.In 2017-18, the Department for Education has a budget of £2billion for apprenticeship training and assessment in England. This will support more and higher quality apprenticeships.

English Language: Education

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Government funding has been made available for lessons in English for speakers of other languages in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Halfon: I would refer you to my response to PQ59503 in which I provide the information that the Honourable Lady requested. The table below shows estimated funding for adult skills budget English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision from 2009/10 onwards, and also includes funding by the Department for Communities and Local Government. We do not hold data before 2009/10. Funding for ESOL is allocated by the Skills Funding Agency as part of a provider’s adult skills budget. In addition, there are a number of ESOL courses funded through the Agency’s community learning budget, but we do not collect data which enables us to provide a breakdown of the expenditure on these. SFA-funded providers which deliver ESOL include Further Education colleges, local authorities and a few other providers From 2013/14 the Department for Communities and Local Government has directly funded six projects to engage isolated adults with poor or no English who had not previously accessed mainstream training.   YEARDfE ACADEMIC YEAR ESTIMATED FUNDING* (Adult Skills Budget)DCLG FINANCIAL YEAR FUNDING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROJECTS2009/10£203m 2010/11£169m 2011/12£117m 2012/13£128m £0.12m2013/14£120m £2.14m2014/15£104m £3.66m2015/16£90 £2.53m *(Formerly the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) – funding values are estimated using data from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Estimated funding provides an indication of the level of government funding and should not be treated as actual spend.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it remains her Department's policy to introduce legislative proposals to require schools to give equal weight to vocational and academic routes when providing careers advice.

Robert Halfon: The Department is committed to ensuring that technical education has the same prestige as academic education.We are simplifying the routes into technical education, and raising the standards of these routes, to ensure they are valued both by students and by employers. The new system should become the clear pathway of choice for students aspiring to a career in those occupations covered by the routes.We are committed to ensuring that all young people are fully aware of all of their options and can choose the best option for them, whether that be the technical or academic route. Schools have an important role in this and we have already introduced legislation that requires schools to secure independent careers guidance for all year 8-13 pupils.The Industrial Strategy Green Paper, published on 23 January 2017, set out that we will publish a comprehensive careers strategy later this year. We want the advice and guidance young people receive in school to enable pupils to make informed decisions about pursuing technical and academic routes. We will consider options for achieving this as part of the development of the strategy.

Apprentices

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2016 to Question 56579, on apprenticeships, for what reason her Department has no plans to offer ex-offenders extra support.

Robert Halfon: Apprenticeships offer a real opportunity to re-enter the labour market and those already in work the opportunity to progress further.We provide a range of support for people to access, complete and progress in an apprenticeship especially those who are disadvantaged or who have additional needs, such as ex-offenders. We also offer a traineeship programme to help those that are further from being ready for an apprenticeship to prepare.Additional support is also provided through the Department for Work and Pensions and the range of excellent organisations that work with ex-offenders.In its White Paper, Prison Safety and Reform, published on 3 November the Ministry of Justice, set out its plans to develop a Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway for prisoners which lead to an apprenticeship on release.

Pupils: Personal Records

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2017 to Question 56640, on how many occasions National Pupil Database data has been shared with the media in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: Allowing vetted researchers, academics and others to access extracts of this data under strictly controlled conditions helps the development and improvement of our education system for the benefit of all.Anyone requesting data from the NPD must comply with strict confidentiality and security rules. Organisations that meet these strict criteria can apply for data. This includes media organisations.The number of occasions an application for data from the NPD, a media organisation has been allowed in each of the years specified is detailed in the table below:YearNumber of occasions NPD data has been shared with the media20100201122012120133201412015120161 *We have defined ‘the media’ as ‘organisations whose primary purpose is the generation of news stories for an online, print or screen/radio presence’. A full list of NPD data requests that have been approved / rejected / not pursued from April 2012 to June 2016 is available on gov.uk in the Third Party Published List. An updated version of the ‘Third Party Published List’ showing all requests that have been approved / rejected / not pursued up to December 2016 will be available in March 2017.

Exercise: Children

Maggie Throup: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to ring-fence a proportion of the revenue raised from the sugar levy to support the least active children to exercise more.

Edward Timpson: We want all pupils to be healthy and active. Since 2013, we have invested over £600 million of ring-fenced funding to improve PE and sport in primary schools through the Primary PE and Sport premium. Evidence indicates that the funding is having a major impact, with 84% of schools reporting an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities. Schools have the freedom to decide how best to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and the evidence indicates that the majority of schools are already targeting some of their funding at the least active pupils within their schools. But we know that there is more to do, which is we have committed to using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy to double the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017. This will enable schools to make further improvements to the quality and breadth of their PE and sport provision.

Schools: Hearing Impairment

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department provided for support for deaf awareness training in schools in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Edward Timpson: We have not provided any funding specifically for deaf awareness training. However, over the past six years, we have provided £2.25million of funding to a partnership of sensory impairment charities through the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP), to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment. Through NatSIP, we have worked with charities such as the National Deaf Children’s Society to produce resources such as the 'Supporting the achievement of deaf children' pack, a comprehensive set of guides on how teachers can support children and young people with hearing impairment. In addition, as set out in the Equality Act 2010, we expect all schools to support disabled children and young people, including by making reasonable adjustments to prevent them from suffering discrimination.

English Baccalaureate

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans formally to respond to the consultation on Implementing the English Baccalaureate which closed on 29 January 2016.

Nick Gibb: We will publish the Government response to the consultation on the implementation of the English Baccalaureate in due course.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

International Broadcasting

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential effects of the UK exiting the EU on the likelihood of international broadcasting companies continuing to base themselves in the UK.

Matt Hancock: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I have extensively engaged with international broadcasters as we seek a new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union. We are confident the UK film industry will continue to thrive.

Broadband: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether Phase 2 superfast broadband delivery in Scotland will receive European funding.

Matt Hancock: It will be for the Scottish Government to decide whether to seek to use European funding to support its Phase 2 broadband programme.

Broadband: Rutherglen and Hamilton West

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of (a) households and (b) business premises in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency which are forecast to have signed up to receive superfast broadband by the end of 2017; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: The Department does not forecast superfast broadband take-up, and does not hold information on take-up at a constituency level or on separate business and household take-up. Take-up in the broadband project covering the Rest of Scotland excluding Highlands & Islands is currently just over 25%.

Darts: Finance

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department has provided for the promotion and development of darts in each year since 2010.

Tracey Crouch: The Government's strategy Sporting Future sets out that we want more people to engage in sport and physical activity and to enjoy the benefits that this brings.The recently published Active Lives survey shows that 7,400 people in England regularly play darts.

MG Alba

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) how many times and (b) on which dates (i) Ministers and (ii) officials of her Department have met representatives of MG Alba in the last 12 months.

Matt Hancock: My Hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, met with MG Alba representatives on one occasion in the last 12 months, on 9th March 2016. Officials from my Department met with MG Alba representatives on 4 occasions during the last 12 months, on the 8th March 2016, on 9th of June 2016, on 18th July 2016 and on 1st September 2016.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Avian Influenza

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of avian flu were identified in sites in England and Wales in each of the last 24 months; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: The numbers of cases of avian influenza confirmed in domestic flocks in England and Wales, by year and month in the last 24 months up to and including 31/01/2017, are shown in the table below. In addition the numbers of positive cases found in wild birds in England and Wales are shown. YearMonthCases in Domestic FlocksCases in Wild Birds2015January1 2015July1 2016August 12016December172017January710 The Government has taken swift action to limit the spread of avian influenza, with restrictions around affected premises and wider measures in place across the country. These measures included increasing the sensitivity of the surveillance that is undertaken around wetland areas by key partners due to the increased prevalence of H5N8 in Europe. To reduce the risk of bird flu spreading from bird to bird there is currently a requirement for all poultry keepers, even those who just keep a few birds as pets, to take all practicable and appropriate steps to keep their birds housed or otherwise separate from wild birds. There is also a ban on poultry gatherings. Bird flu is also transmitted via the environment, for example in wild bird droppings, and it is vital that keepers practice strict biosecurity.

Avian Influenza

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds of the number of instances of avian flu identified in sites across England and Wales in each of the last 24 months; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: The numbers of cases of avian influenza confirmed in domestic flocks in England and Wales, by year and month in the last 24 months up to and including 31/01/2017, are shown in the table below. In addition the numbers of positive cases found in wild birds in England and Wales are shown. YearMonthCases in Domestic FlocksCases in Wild Birds2015January1 2015July1 2016August 12016December172017January710 The Government has taken swift action to limit the spread of avian influenza, with restrictions around affected premises and wider measures in place across the country. These measures included increasing the sensitivity of the surveillance that is undertaken around wetland areas by key partners due to the increased prevalence of H5N8 in Europe. To reduce the risk of bird flu spreading from bird to bird there is currently a requirement for all poultry keepers, even those who just keep a few birds as pets, to take all practicable and appropriate steps to keep their birds housed or otherwise separate from wild birds. There is also a ban on poultry gatherings. Bird flu is also transmitted via the environment, for example in wild bird droppings, and it is vital that keepers practice strict biosecurity.

European Chemicals Agency

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the benefit to the UK of membership of the European Chemicals Agency.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) undertakes assessments, scrutinises and provides opinions on industry applications for authorisations to use some of the most hazardous chemicals, recommends restrictions on other dangerous chemicals and manages data of all chemicals on the EU market. Chemicals must be registered with the ECHA to access the single market. While the UK remains a member of the EU we will continue to fully participate in the work of the ECHA. We are committed to maintaining an effective regulatory system for the management and control of chemicals which safeguards human health and the environment and can respond to emerging risks, as well as creating an open and competitive business environment.

Agriculture: Exports

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the economic value of agricultural exports to the EU in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

George Eustice: According to the latest HMRC trade data, the provisional value of UK exports of food & drink to the EU for the 12 month period December 2015 to November 2016 was £11.8 billion. Approximately 50% (£5.9 billion) of these exports were raw or lightly-processed goods related to the agricultural sector. The remaining 50% of exports were highly-processed goods related to the food & drink manufacturing sector. Agricultural trade data is not available for the geographic detail requested in parts (a) and (b).

Rivers: Pollution

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce river pollution in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: River Basin Management Plans provide the framework for protecting and improving water quality, by setting ambitious environmental goals and actions to be taken in catchments over the next 6 years and beyond. The plans were updated in 2015 and will complement the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan. This will manage the environment in a more integrated way, harnessing the potential of data, local partnerships, and environmental technology to deliver more improvements to our environment in tandem with economic growth. More information on the plans can be viewed on GOV.UK under “River Basin Management plans: 2015.” The current plans confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021, which will lead to at least 680 improved water bodies by 2021, aiming for over 130 to have more abundant fish populations and 440 to have less pollution. This will be achieved through partnership working with the water industry, farmers, catchment partnerships, highways and the Coal Authority.

Agricultural Products: Subsidies

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to ensure that funding for the promotion of agricultural products continues to be made available at the level of that currently provided by the European Commission after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: EU funding for the promotion of agricultural products is available to all member states and will continue to be available until the UK’s exit from the European Union. We are determined to get the best deal for Britain, including for our food and farming industry which generates over £110 billion a year for our economy. We will need to consider our longer-term approach to funding as part of a future domestic agricultural policy and we will ensure we consult with stakeholders in relation to any future scheme for the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if the Government will bring forward proposals during negotiations with the EU to allow specified industries to continue to access the single market on a sector-by-sector basis after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We are aiming to agree an ambitious and comprehensive trade deal with the EU.We want to ensure that British companies have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets – and to let European businesses do the same in Britain.

Brexit: Legal Costs

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to publish the total costs to the public purse of R (on the application of Miller and Dos Santos) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in the (a) High Court and (b) Supreme Court.

Mr David Jones: The figures for the total costs associated with the case will be published in due course.

Brexit: Devolution

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on legislative consent motions for the proposed Great Repeal Bill.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on legislative consent motions for the proposed Great Repeal Bill.

Mr David Jones: The content of the Great Repeal Bill will be set out in due course and its content will determine the process to take it forward.The Government fully respects the Sewel Convention and is working closely with the devolved administrations – for example through the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations.This is part of the normal working arrangements between the UK Government and the devolved administrations.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, what the (a) level of earnings is of the (i) highest and (ii) lowest-paid employee and (b) median earnings are of employees of the Law Officers' Departments and arms-length bodies.

Jeremy Wright: The Office for National Statistics publish annually the highest and median salary for each Civil Service organization as part of the Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found on the Office for National Statistics website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/medianpayannexb Earning levels for the lowest paid employee are not publically available.

Crown Prosecution Service

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Attorney General, what the procedure is for presenting a case to the Crown Prosecution Service independently of the police.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales. The functions of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) as head of the CPS are set out in section 3 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. The DPP may instigate a prosecution in any case investigated by the police or any of the Government departments or other agencies specifically set out in section 3 and in the exercise of any power specifically assigned to her by the Attorney General. There is no power to prosecute offences which have been investigated by any person or body not listed in section 3 or in an assignment, with the exception that the DPP may also institute criminal proceedings in any case where it appears to her to be appropriate to do so, including cases of particular importance or difficulty. The use of this power is rare, and anyone approaching the CPS asking them to consider a case for prosecution under this section will usually be recommended to contact the police, as the CPS has no power to investigate a case. In addition, section 6 of the same Act preserves the right of any individual to commence a private prosecution although the DPP may also take over such proceedings where it is appropriate.

Ministry of Justice

Young Offenders: Apprentices

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on engineering apprenticeships for youth offenders.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Government is committed to developing traineeship and apprenticeship pathways for young offenders across a variety of sectors with a range of potential employers. We have not had specific discussions with Network Rail but this will be something we will be exploring as part of ongoing work.

Young Offenders: Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many youth offenders have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in each year since 2010.

Dr Phillip Lee: Data on the number of youth offenders who have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme each year since 2010 is not held centrally. We recognise the positive impact the award has and are working with education providers and the National Offender Management Service to deliver The Award in Youth Offending Institutions and Secure Training Centres.

Child Abuse in North Wales Judicial Inquiry Review

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2017 to Question 59732, what the timetable will be for publishing an updated copy of the Macur Review with redactions relating to Gordon Angelsea reinstated.

Dr Phillip Lee: I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 20 January 2017.

Ministry of Justice: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) level of earnings is of the (i) highest and (ii) lowest-paid employee and (b) median earnings are of employees of her Department, agencies and arms-length bodies.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Office for National Statistics publish annually the highest and median salary for each Civil Service organisation as part of the Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found on the Office for National Statistics website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/medianpayannexb Earning levels for the lowest paid employees are not publically available.

Magistrates' Courts: Wrexham

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans her Department has for the construction of custody facilities at Wrexham Magistrates' Court; what options for that construction her Department is assessing; and what the timetable is for her Department to make decisions on the (a) options and (b) construction of such facilities.

Sir Oliver Heald: HM Courts & Tribunals Service has commissioned a design for replacement custody facilities at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court. This will be evaluated as part of the assessment of options for the future provision of custodial facilities at Wrexham Magistrates Court. The evaluation will take place in due course.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2017 to Question 61520, in which prisons  she has visited a mental health service since July 2016; and on what date each such visit was made.

Dr Phillip Lee: As well as visits relevant to her other responsibilities, since July 2016 the Secretary of State has visited 12 prisons, young offender institutes and secure training centres. The dates and prisons are as follows:15 July 2016 – HMP Belmarsh15 July 2016 HMP Isis30 August 2016 and 25 November 2016 HMP Norwich14 October 2016 – HMP Thameside21 October 2016 – HMP Bronzefield1 November 2016 – HM Brixton18 November 2016 – HMP Lincoln1 December 2016 – HMP Pentonville13 December 2016 – HMP Wandsworth6 January 2017 - HMYOI Cookham Wood and Medway Secure Training Centre20 January 2017 – HMP Rochester The Secretary of State and Justice Ministers regularly visit all facilities in prisons, which include mental health services.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in tribunal fees in people with protected characteristics.

Sir Oliver Heald: We routinely publish Equalities Statements alongside consultation papers and Government responses to consultation on changes to courts and tribunals fees, which set out our assessment of the impact of those changes in relation to characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.

Cabinet Office

Colorectal Cancer

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people under the age of 60 were diagnosed with bowel cancer in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member- Bowel Cancer
(PDF Document, 72.69 KB)

Average Earnings

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average salary was in (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Average Salary
(PDF Document, 128.18 KB)

Cabinet Office: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) level of earnings is of the (i) highest and (ii) lowest-paid employee and (b) median earnings are of employees of his Department, agencies and arms-length bodies.

Ben Gummer: The Office for National Statistics publish annually the highest and median salary for each Civil Service organization as part of the Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found on the Office for National Statistics website:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/medianpayannexbThe level of earnings for the lowest paid employee of Cabinet Office, its agencies or arms-lengths bodies is not publicly available.

Devolution: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will take steps to make the consultation process operated through the Sewel Convention a statutory requirement.

Chris Skidmore: The Sewel convention recognises that the Parliament of the United Kingdom will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the relevant devolved legislature. Both the Scotland Act 2016 and the Wales Act 2017 place the Sewel convention on a statutory footing, as committed to in the cross-party Smith Commission and St David’s Day agreements.

House of Commons Commission

Palace of Westminster: Art Works

Mr David Winnick: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will take steps to place an inscription on the statue of Charles Bradlaugh, situated in the Lower Waiting Hall of the Palace of Westminster, recognising his campaign to take his seat in Parliament.

Tom Brake: The bust of Charles Bradlaugh was commissioned by the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art and placed in the Lower Waiting Hall before Christmas. Plans are already in place to install a label close to the portrait bust describing Bradlaugh’s contribution as a parliamentarian.